On July 17th, Bruce E. Rittmann, the member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a professor at Arizona State University, gave a presentation on "Synergistic Defluorination and Mineralization of PFAS" at the Environmental Academic Salon. The event was hosted by Professor Huang Xia from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, and attended by more than 30 faculty members and students.
Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann in the lecture room
Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann began by discussing Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), their functions and applications, and the global nature of PFAS contamination. He analyzed the various methods for removing PFAS, including adsorption methods, advanced oxidation/reduction processes, thermal destruction, and biochemical methods, and pointed out the challenges and limitations of each method.
To address the limitations of current methods, Dr. Rittmann and his team developed a synergistic platform that involves initially catalyzing the reduction of PFAS by H2 using precious metal Pd nanoparticles, followed by utilizing microorganisms to catalyze the mineralization of the defluorinated PFAS products using O2, harnessing the synergistic effects of reduction-defluorination and oxidation-mineralization. In continuous tests exceeding 70 days, this technology was able to reduce the concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in water to less than one-third of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) stipulated PFAS emission limit, demonstrating the efficient and sustainable capability of this synergistic technology for PFAS removal.
Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann presenting the research
After the presentation, Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann had an in-depth exchange and discussion with the attending faculty and students on PFAS removal methods, strategies, and technical safety assurance. Professor Huang Xia expressed sincere gratitude to Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann for the insightful presentation and presented him with a souvenir. Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann shared his hope for future exchanges with the faculty and students and joined everyone for a commemorative photo.
Group photo of Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann with some of the attendees
