title: Effect of solution chemistry on the adsorption of perfluorooctane sulfonate onto mineral surfaces.
abstract: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an emergent contaminant of substantial environmental concerns, yet very limited information has been available on PFOS adsorption onto mineral surfaces. PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica was investigated by batch adsorption experiments under various solution compositions. Adsorption onto silica was only marginally affected by pH, ionic strength, and calcium concentration, likely due to the dominance of non-electrostatic interactions. In contrast, PFOS uptake by goethite increased significantly at high [H+] and [Ca2+], which was likely due to enhanced electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged PFOS molecules and positively charged goethite surface. The effect of pH was less significant at high ionic strength, likely due to electrical double layer compression. PFOS uptake was reduced at higher ionic strength for a strongly positively charged goethite surface (pH 3), while it increased for a weakly charged surface (pH 7 and 9), which could be attributed to the competition between PFOS-surface electrostatic attraction and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic repulsion. A conceptual model that captures PFOS-surface and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic interactions as well as non-electrostatic interaction was also formulated to understand the effect of solution chemistry on PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica surfaces.
authors.affiliation: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 50 Nanyang Avenue #N1-1b-35, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore. cytang@ntu.edu.sg
authors.forename: Chuyang Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shiang Fu
authors.forename: Dawen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Criddle
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Leckie
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D008903:Minerals; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D058085:Iron Compounds; D008903:Minerals; C094886:goethite; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid