Minus technologies revolutionizing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal: Strategies for safe drinking water

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become major contaminants in global drinking water sources, posing serious concerns on human health and ecosystems due to their persistence and bioaccumulative nature. Conventional drinking water treatment methods are ineffective in removing extremely low concentrations of persistent PFAS, potentially causing harmful transformation by-products. Minus technologies offer sustainable chemical-free PFAS removal by avoiding conventional chemical-based treatment, producing biologically stable water and thereby reducing health risks. This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the latest advancements in minus technologies for PFAS removal, focusing on their mechanisms, applications, and performance evaluations. Various minus technologies, such as adsorption, membrane filtration, and ion exchange, are critically discussed in terms of their ability to target different PFAS compounds, with a focus on key factors that influence efficacy and superiority over conventional or chemical-based treatment methods. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and future directions of integrating minus technologies into existing water treatment infrastructure, emphasizing the need for optimization, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory compliance to facilitate widespread implementation. Finally, we propose a treatment train to devise a cost-effective solution through a combination of minus technologies with advanced oxidation processes to achieve comprehensive and efficient removal of diverse PFAS compounds from main water bodies.