PFAS Destruction and Near-Complete Defluorination of Undiluted Aqueous Film-Forming Foams at Ambient Conditions by Piezoelectric Ball Milling.

The nonthermal destruction of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) stockpiles, one of the major culprits responsible for water and soil contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is extremely challenging because of the coexistence of mixed recalcitrant PFAS and complicated organic matrices at extremely high concentrations. To date, the complete defluorination of undiluted AFFF at ambient conditions has not been demonstrated. This study reports a novel piezoelectric ball milling approach for treating AFFF with a total organic fluorine concentration of 9080 mg/L and total organic carbon of 234 g/L.