Apparatus and method for mediation of PFAS contamination in an environment

A method of moderating concentration of at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials comprising poly- and perfluoroalkyl fluorinated alkyl materials from a contaminated aqueous feed liquid containing an original concentration of as little as 5 parts per trillion of the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials per liter of water into an aqueous electronic separator, wherein the aqueous electronic separator comprises at least three chambers,

• wherein the at least three chambers comprise:
• a) a feed chamber having a liquid exit port from which a mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid exits and a liquid input port into which the contaminated aqueous feed liquid enters the feed chamber;
• b) an anodic electrode chamber filled with an aqueous anodic liquid;
• and
• c) a cathodic electrode chamber filled with an aqueous cathodic liquid;
• wherein the feed chamber is between and adjacent to the anodic electrode chamber and the cathodic electrode chamber and the feed chamber is separated from the anodic electrode chamber by an anodic exchange membrane and the cathodic electrode chamber is separated from the feed chamber by at least one cathodic exchange membrane which is a semipermeable membrane;
• and wherein the process comprises:
• i) feeding the contaminated aqueous feed liquid into the feed chamber through the liquid input port;
• ii) feeding a second aqueous liquid into the anodic electrode chamber in contact with an anodic electrode;
• iii) feeding a third aqueous liquid into the cathodic electrode chamber in contact with a cathodic electrode;
• iv) applying a current between the anodic electrode chamber and the cathodic electrode chamber and across the feed chamber from a first electrode in the anodic electrode chamber to a second electrode in the cathodic electrode chamber;
• v) the current driving the contaminated aqueous feed liquid comprising the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials from the contaminated aqueous feed liquid into the anodic exchange membrane between the feed chamber and the anodic electrode chamber and into the second aqueous liquid thereby forming the mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid within the feed chamber, and at least 70% of the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials being retained by the anodic exchange membrane at a flow rate of between 1-100 liters/minute;
• and
• vi) removing the mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid through the liquid exit port;
• wherein the anodic electrode and the cathodic electrode are solid plates having a metal surface thereon, and the current comprises from 5-250 milliamps per square centimeter, and an electronic voltage control is engaged with the anodic exchange membrane at least some time between steps iii) and v).

A method for moderating a concentration of at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials comprising poly- and perfluoroalkyl fluorinated alkyl materials from a contaminated aqueous feed liquid containing an original concentration of at least 5 parts per trillion of at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials per liter of water into an aqueous electronic separator, wherein the aqueous electronic separator comprises:

• a) a feed chamber having a liquid exit port from which a mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid exits and a liquid input port into which the contaminated aqueous feed liquid enters the feed chamber;
• b) an anodic electrode chamber filled with an aqueous anodic liquid;
• c) an anode and a cathode on opposed sides of liquid flow within the aqueous electronic separator;
• wherein the feed chamber is between and adjacent to the anodic electrode chamber and the feed chamber is separated from each of the anode and the cathode by at least one semipermeable membrane;
• and
• wherein an electrical voltage control system is in connection with the anode and cathode;
• wherein the at least one semipermeable membrane is configured to capture at least 70% of the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials so that it is retained by the at least onesemipermeable membrane from the contaminated aqueous feed liquid as it passes, under voltage, in the feed chamber towards the anode;
• the method comprising:
• d) applying a current between the anode and cathode and across the feed chamber between the anode to the cathode;
• e) the current driving the contaminated aqueous feed liquid comprising the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials from the feed liquid into the semipermeable membrane between the feed chamber and the anodic electrode chamber and thereby forming the mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid within the feed chamber with at least 80% of the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials being retained by the at least one semipermeable membrane;
• and
• f) removing the mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid through the liquid exit port with the mediated aqueous contaminated feed liquid having less than the original concentration of the at least highly fluorinated alkyl materials per liter of water in the contaminated aqueous feed liquid.