Efficient Decomposition of Environmentally Persistent Perfluorocarboxylic Acids by Use of Persulfate as a Photochemical Oxidant

Photochemical decomposition of persistent perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) in water by use of persulfate ion (S2O82-) was examined to develop a technique to neutralize stationary sources of PFCAs. Photolysis of S2O82- produced highly oxidative sulfate radical anions (SO4•-), which efficiently decomposed perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other PFCAs bearing C4−C8 perfluoroalkyl groups. The major products were F- and CO2; also, small amounts of PFCAs with shorter than initial chain lengths were detected in the reaction solution. PFOA at a concentration of 1.35 mM (typical of that in untreated wastewater after an emulsifying process in fluoropolymer manufacture) was completely decomposed by a photochemical system with 50 mM S2O82- and 4 h of irradiation from a 200-W xenon−mercury lamp. The initial PFOA decomposition rate was 11 times higher than with photolysis alone. All sulfur-containing species in the reaction solution were eventually transformed to sulfate ions by this method. This method was successfully applied to the decomposition of perfluorononanoic acid contained in a floor wax solution.