ENGS 89/90 Reports

Year of Graduation

2023

Project Advisor

Megan Romano

Instructor

Vicki May

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

This project develops a system for filtering Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater created by small cleaning businesses during their operations. Requirements are defined through review of the scientific literature, which addresses the efficacy of bituminous Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) in PFAS adsorption from water. These requirements inform the GAC volume required, its lifetime, and necessary dwell times of contaminated water in GAC to adsorb greater than 99% of PFAS. Specifications for a multistage, continuous flow GAC filtering system are derived from the requirements. The project scope includes construction of the initial prototype, tuning the system to meet flow rate requirements, testing on PFAS-contaminated water, and iterating the design to increase efficacy and to simplify assembly. External laboratory test results indicate a linear decrease in PFAS concentration with number of filter stages in all 13 PFAS compounds tested. These results inform the revised prototype, which adds filter stages to further increase performance. A parts list, assembly instructions, and educational materials to inform small businesses of the importance of filtering PFAS from wastewater before disposal promote adoption. The cost of the system and its maintenance can be accommodated by an environmental fee on the customer’s bill - much like tire retailers charge for disposal of old tires. Lifetime evaluation of the GAC is needed to complete testing. Successful development of an open-source, inexpensive PFAS filtering system for small cleaning businesses is expected to reduce PFAS in the wastewater stream thus reducing environmental and health consequences of these toxic chemicals.

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