Mechanistic insights on the merits and limitations of advanced treatment processes for removal of contaminants of emerging concern

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dc.contributor.advisorAlvarez, Pedro J. J.en_US
dc.creatorJaved, Hassanen_US
dc.date.accessioned2020-08-11T21:48:02Zen_US
dc.date.available2020-08-11T21:48:02Zen_US
dc.date.created2020-08en_US
dc.date.issued2020-08-10en_US
dc.date.submittedAugust 2020en_US
dc.date.updated2020-08-11T21:48:02Zen_US
dc.description.abstractPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are recalcitrant contaminants of emerging concern that have widespread distribution in water sources, and exhibit potential to persist and bioaccumulate. Non-destructive and destructive remediation strategies have been actively investigated to remove PFAS. Adsorption on activated carbon is the most widely used non-destructive treatment method to remove PFAS. However, limited innovation has occurred in the field of activated carbon materials and there is a need to develop ultra-high surface area activated materials that exhibit high adsorption capacity and selectivity for target contaminants. Furthermore, non-destructive methods only transfer the contamination from one phase to another and therefore must be used in conjunction with destructive treatment methods to effectively remove and mineralize the target contaminant. In recent years, there has been growing interest to use Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) to degrade PFAS. However, progress in the field has been hampered by the ambiguity that exists regarding the role of two key reactive oxygen species (ROS) i.e. hydroxyl radical (•OH) and superoxide radical anion (O2•-) in degrading PFAS with some studies demonstrating their effectiveness while others claiming the contrary. This dissertation aims to provide mechanistic insights into the treatment of PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern by: i) Developing fundamental understanding of how the structure of a novel ultra-high surface area activated carbon relates to its function as an adsorbent. ii) Resolving the ambiguity regarding the role of •OH and O2•- in degrading PFAS.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationJaved, Hassan. "Mechanistic insights on the merits and limitations of advanced treatment processes for removal of contaminants of emerging concern." (2020) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109179">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109179</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/109179en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectcontaminants of emerging concernen_US
dc.subjectperfluoroalkyl substancesen_US
dc.subjectendocrine disrupting chemicalsen_US
dc.subjecthydroxyl radicalen_US
dc.subjectsuperoxide radicalen_US
dc.subjectactivated carbonen_US
dc.subjectwater treatmenten_US
dc.subjectenvironmental remediation.en_US
dc.titleMechanistic insights on the merits and limitations of advanced treatment processes for removal of contaminants of emerging concernen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentChemistryen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNatural Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
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