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Energy-Efficient PFAS Defluorination via Reactor-Scale VUV/UVC Boron Nitride Photocatalysis for Semiconductor Fabrication Wastewater

delete2026-05-25
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OA
AI
J
Juan Donoso
A
Abraham S. Nelson
G
Gunhak Oh
Y
Youngkun Chung
S
Sarah Glass
W
Welman C. Elias
K
Kimberly N. Heck
T
Tony Powell
P
Pedro J. J. Alvarez
M
Mohamed Ateia *
M
Michael S. Wong *
DOI:10.1021/acsestengg.6c00254delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Boron nitride (BN) is a commercially available photocatalyst with demonstrated activity for degrading per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but reactor-scale performance has not been reported. Here, we evaluate BN photocatalysis (BN + UV) in a 16 L recirculating reactor equipped with low-pressure mercury lamps emitting vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, 185 nm) and UV–C (254 nm) radiation. Using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a model compound at mg/L concentrations, BN + UV achieved >99.8% removal within 1 h and 88% defluorination after 7 h, outperforming direct photolysis (UV-only; 92% removal, 30% defluorination) and TiO2 photocatalysis (TiO2 + UV; 63% removal, 10% defluorination) under identical conditions. A reactor-scale kinetic model yielded an intrinsic illuminated-zone rate constant (kA) of 110 h–1 for BN + UV, 11-fold greater than photolysis and 24-fold greater than TiO2 + UV. BN + UV correspondingly presented the lowest electrical energy per order removed (EEO = 1.82 kWh m–3) and per order defluorinated (EEOD = 6.68 kWh m–3) based on lamp power. Furthermore, BN + UV degraded a 13-compound PFAS mixture in simulated semiconductor fabrication wastewater at μg/L levels. Long-chain compounds were completely removed within 24 h, while perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) persisted, consistent with the known recalcitrance of short-chain sulfonates. These results demonstrate the energy efficiency of BN photocatalysis for destructive PFAS treatment in complex industrial matrices.
Keywords:
Anions
Degradation
Fluorine
Oxides
Photocatalysis
photocatalysis
reactor-scale
semiconductor wastewater
defluorination
PFAS
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ACS ES&T Engineering cover
ACS ES&T Engineering
IF:
6.7
Papers:
1.2K
Citations:
4.6K

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R
Rice University
Scholars:
1.4W
Papers: 1.2W
Citations: 2.6W
P
purifics water inc.
Scholars:
1
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
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