Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for PFAS destruction including providing water containing PFAS to a reactor vessel, irradiating the water with UV light under conditions to destroy at least a portion of the PFAS, passing the treated water through a selective membrane to form permeate and membrane reject comprising PFAS, providing the membrane reject back to the reactor vessel, providing additional water containing PFAS to the reactor vessel within the reactor vessel or before being provided to the reactor vessel, and irradiating the membrane reject and the additional water containing PFAS within the reactor vessel with UV light. The steps may be repeated a plurality of times such that PFAS that is not destroyed is recycled through the reactor vessel. Sensitizers may be added and may also be recycled in the membrane reject with the PFAS.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for PFAS destruction including adding a sulfite salt to an aqueous solution containing PFAS and then irradiating the aqueous solution with light at 222 nm. The method may include adding a base to the aqueous solution in an amount sufficient to raise a pH of the aqueous solution including PFAS to about 10 or more. It may also include adding a halide salt such as a bromide salt or an iodine salt, and further adding a carbonate. Greater than 90%, or greater than 99%, of the PFAS in the solution may be destroyed by irradiating the aqueous solution in this way.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for PFAS destruction including oxidatively pretreating an aqueous foam fractionate solution including PFAS to form a pretreated solution by mixing the aqueous foam fractionate solution with a persulfate and an acid or a base to increase or decrease the pH and oxidizing the aqueous foam fractionate solution and then subjecting the pretreated solution to UV photolysis, such as by directing UV light onto the pretreated aqueous foam fractionate solution at 222 nm, 254 nm and/or 185 nm. Oxidizing the foam fraction may include subjecting the aqueous foam fractionate solution to an increased temperature and pressure for a period of time sufficient for thermal oxidation or subjecting the aqueous foam fractionate solution to ozone oxidation.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for removing iodide from an aqueous solution including submerging an iodophilic electrode in an aqueous solution containing iodide, applying a current to the electrode, and electrochemically oxidizing the iodide to iodine within the electrode. The electrode may include an iodophilic material and an electrically conductive material. It may also include a binder. The iodophilic material may be a starch, chitosan, carboxycellulose, cationic polymer, or an anion exchange membrane material, for example. After oxidizing the iodide to iodine within the electrode, the electrode may be submerged in a second solution and a current may be applied to reduce the iodine and release it from the electrode in the form of iodide into the second solution.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for photo-electrolyitic PFAS destruction including a photoreactor vessel configured to receive an aqueous solution including PFAS, a UV light source configured to direct UV light onto the aqueous solution in the photoreactor vessel, a cathode within the photoreactor vessel configured to contact the aqueous solution, an anode in an electrolyte solution, an electrical power supply configured to provide a voltage difference between the anode and cathode, and a membrane or ionic bridge between the anode and cathode. The cathode may be a mesh and may have a high surface area construction with an electrochemically active surface area that is greater than the geometric surface area.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for PFAS destruction including removing nitrate from water containing PFAS, combining the water with a sensitizer and a sufficient quantity of base to create a treatment solution having a pH of about 10 or more, and irradiating the treatment solution with UV light in a photoreactor to destroy a portion of the PFAS. The nitrate may be removed electrolytically such as by electrolytically reducing nitrate to nitrogen gas and/or ammonia. The nitrate may be removed by filtration through a selective membrane, such as by reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, nanofiltration, and/or ultrafiltration. The system may include electrolytic cell system including a first cell with a cathode contacting the water containing PFAS in the first cell, a second cell including an anode in an electrolytic solution, a power source, and a salt brine and/or membrane separating the first and second cells.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses for the capture, desorption and/or destruction of pollutants such as PFAS. The systems include porous polymer materials such as foams like polyurethane and may include nanoparticles and/or active chemical groups. The porous polymer may be activated to improve capture. Captured pollutants may be desorbed using solvents and mechanical methods, and the pollutants may then be concentrated and destroyed through the application of energy such as through acoustic energy, ultrasound, and/or light such as UV or visible light.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to processes for destruction of persistent and recalcitrant organic pollutants, including PFAS using a combination of oxidative and reductive destruction. The present disclosure also includes treatment systems that apply a UV oxidative process followed by a UV reduction process to the product of the UV oxidation process.

Abstract: Antimicrobial textiles and methods of making antimicrobial textiles including a sheet substrate comprising a textile and metal oxide nanoparticles in which the nanoparticles are present as a nanocomposite on the surface of and within the sheet substrate. The textiles may be used in wearable items such as personal protective equipment such as face masks. Methods of making the textiles include applying a metal salt solution to a textile to diffuse the metal salt into the textile and drying the textile, such as drying the textile with heat, to bind the metal salt to the surface of and the interior fibers of the textile by forming a nanocomposite of metal nanoparticles or nanostructures in situ.

Abstract: Ultraviolet protective textiles and methods of making ultraviolet protective textiles including a sheet substrate comprising a synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural textile or blend thereof, a UV absorbing chemical present on the substrate, and a capping agent bound to the UV absorbing chemical. The UV absorbing chemical may be an organic acid, protein, flavonoid, or a polyphenolic compound, for example, such as tannic acid. The capping agent may be an alkylbenzene based surfactant, phenylethanoid, monophenol, or protein, for example, such as whey or casein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods whereby contaminants or pollutants are removed from a fluid using a combination of electrochemical treatment and sorption. The systems and methods described herein may be used to remove pollutants from water or other fluids. The systems and methods described herein apply an electric current to a contaminated fluid such as water. The target contaminants are consequently ionized and are forced through a reactive sorbent media by use of an electrical gradient or polarization. The sorbent chemically binds the contaminants.