The promise of PFAS remediation by the fourth state of matter

Abstract

Recent advances in nonthermal plasma (NTP)-enabled processes have yielded remarkable results and progress in the remediation of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), especially in the past three to five years. In comparison to typical chemical oxidation and reduction reactions that are conducted in bulk aqueous solutions with specific reactive oxidative or reductive species, the reported NTP-based PFAS degradations occur mainly at the water–bubble/air interface and increasingly in the bubble interiors. Further, the degradations occur simultaneously in the presence of a multitude of oxidative and reductive species, including radical, ion, photon, and hydrated electron species. These aspects have introduced some interesting science in such PFAS degradations. This opinion highlights such examples by both illuminating their salient features and more importantly proposing perspectives with respect to the observed science.