Innovative Approaches to PFAS Remediation: Non-Destructive and Destructive Technologies

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of over 14,000 manmade chemicals characterized by at least one fully fluorinated alkyl moiety (CF2) with varying chain lengths. Due to their unique properties such as hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, and thermal stability, PFAS have been extensively used in various commercial products and industrial applications, including nonstick cookware, textiles, food packaging, and firefighting foams. However, PFAS have recently raised global concerns due to their ubiquity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity to human health and the environment. Exposure to PFAS, even at very low concentrations, has been linked to numerous adverse health effects, including endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, brain toxicity, and kidney cancer. These substances have been detected in all environmental media, including air, water, soil, and sediment.The remediation of PFAS is particularly challenging due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond, one of the strongest in nature. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently issued regulations for several high-priority PFAS compounds in drinking water, underscoring the urgent need for cost-effective and efficient remediation technologies. This regulatory momentum is part of a broader global shift: the European Union adopted legally binding PFAS limits in drinking water in 2020, with regulators in Japan and Australia moving in the same direction since. The growing recognition of PFAS destruction as a defining environmental challenge was further underscored by, the World Economic Forum and Frontiers’ Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 report ​which named the breaking down of forever chemicals one of the ten technologies approaching real-world impact — highlighting how approaches that superheat water, apply electrical currents, or use UV-driven reactions to crack the C-F bond are now moving from laboratory demonstration to commercial-scale deployment.This research topic aims to solicit recent research and demonstration advancements on the remediation of PFAS in the environment, including both conventional PFAS and emerging PFAS compounds, such as parent compounds or precursors. The goal is to explore both non-destructive and destructive remediation technologies. Non-destructive approaches include sorption (using granular activated carbon, biochar, polymers, etc.), ion resin exchange, and nanofiltration. Destructive technologies encompass thermal and hydrothermal treatments, supercritical water oxidation, electrochemical oxidation and reduction, advanced oxidation and reduction processes, photocatalysis, and biological processes involving microorganisms and enzymes. The integration of different non-destructive and destructive technologies into treatment train systems is particularly desirable, as these coupled systems can achieve more efficient and comprehensive destruction of PFAS with varying structures. Optimizing the operational parameters of these treatment modules is essential for enhancing the performance of PFAS remediation. Looking ahead, artificial intelligence-enabled automation holds significant promise for further enhancing treatment performance by adjusting operating conditions in real time in response to changing water chemistry and contamination levels. Contributions from laboratory, pilot, and field-scale studies, as well as data analysis and prediction using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), are highly encouraged.To gather further insights into the boundaries of PFAS remediation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis related to PFAS remediation• Environmental behaviors of PFAS that impact remediation considerations, such as transport and transformation of PFAS precursors• Methods used in assessment and design of PFAS remediation processes, such as sensors and toxicity assessment• Development and optimization of non-destructive PFAS remediation technologies• Advances in destructive PFAS remediation methods• Integration and performance tuning of treatment train technologies• Laboratory, pilot, and field-scale treatment and demonstration studies• Data analysis and predictive modeling using AI/ML for PFAS remediation• Case studies on the application of PFAS remediation technologies• Reviews of current PFAS remediation strategies and future directionsSubmissions should present novel insights, methodologies, data analytics, or applications relevant to these themes. Manuscripts must adhere to the formatting and submission guidelines provided by Frontiers in Environmental Engineering. Please direct any topic-related questions to the editors. Topic editors: Qingguo (Jack) Huang, Dengjun Wang, Ke Li, Hui Lin Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79384/innovative-approaches-to-pfas-remediation-non-destructive-and-destructive-technologies