%0 Journal Article
%T PFAS remediation: Evaluating the infrared spectra of complex gaseous mixtures to determine the efficacy of thermal decomposition of PFAS.
%A Hughey KD
%A Gallagher NB
%A Zhao Y
%A Thakur N
%A Bradley AM
%A Koster van Groos PG
%A Johnson TJ
%J Chemosphere
%V 362
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 15
%M 38885768
%F 8.943
%R 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142631
%X Due to their widespread production and known environmental contamination, the need for the detection and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown quickly. While destructive thermal treatment of PFAS at low temperatures (e.g., 200-500 °C) is of interest due to lower energy and infrastructure requirements, the range of possible degradation products remains underexplored. To better understand the low temperature decomposition of PFAS species, we have coupled gas-phase infrared spectroscopy with a multivariate curve resolution (MCR) analysis and a database of high-resolution PFAS infrared reference spectra to characterize and quantify a complex mixture resulting from potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS-K) decomposition. Beginning at 375 °C, nine prevalent decomposition products (namely smaller perfluorocarbon species) are identified and quantified.