Surface modification of papermill waste fibers and its applications as PFAS adsorbent

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of fluoro-organic chemicals used as surfactants in various industries. They have become a global concern due to their bio-accumulative properties and harmful effects on human health and the ecosystem. The challenges for PFAS removal are low adsorption capacity, slow adsorption, and high cost of adsorbents. Recent studies have shown that PFAS can be removed from wastewater by adsorption on cationic polymers.
In this study, papermill waste fibers, disposed of as landfills, will be valorized by surface modification. The surface charge of waste fibers will be modified to the cationic by functionalization with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC). The cationized waste fibers will be used for the adsorption of PFAS. The structural and morphological properties of cationic waste fibers will be analyzed using FTIR, XRD, SEM, zeta potential analyzer, conductometric titration, particle charge detector, and others. The adsorption behavior of PFAS will be examined by adsorption at different pH, temperatures, and PFAS concentrations. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms will be studied, and maximum adsorption capacity will be calculated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.