Publications by authors named "Yida Fang"

Modelling per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) fate and transport in the vadose zone is inherently more complex than in the saturated zone due to the highly transient nature and the wetting phase saturation dependent hydraulic flux associated with the vadose zone. The chemical complexity of PFAS impart multiple partitioning processes which complicate the evaluation of PFAS transport in the vadose zone. To date, simplified screening models describing PFAS leaching have been developed to determine PFAS soil cleanup criteria in the vadose zone.

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Ultraviolet (UV) reductive treatment systems that generate hydrated electrons (e) have emerged as a promising technology for the destruction of chemically inert per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Here, we report on the evaluation of an indole derivative-based UV reductive treatment system that utilizes the amphipathic properties of PFAS at the gas-water interface (via nitrogen (N) sparging) for more energy-efficient destruction of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Results from this work illustrated that N sparging within UV systems can enhance the degradation and defluorination of PFOS compared to non-sparged conditions, but their overall treatment efficiency is low to industry standard.

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Some Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are strongly retained in the vadose zone due to their sorption to both soils and air-water interfaces. While significant research has been dedicated to understanding equilibrium behavior for these multi-phase retention processes, leaching and desorption from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) impacted soils under field relevant conditions can exhibit significant deviations from equilibrium. Herein, laboratory column studies using field collected AFFF-impacted soils were employed to examine the leaching of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) under simulated rainfall conditions.

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Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) leaching from unsaturated soils impacted with aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) is an environmental challenge that remains difficult to measure and predict. Complicating measurements and predictions of this process is a lack of understanding between the PFAS concentrations measured in a collected environmental unsaturated soil sample, and the PFAS concentrations measured in the corresponding porewater using field-deployed lysimeters. The applicability of bench-scale batch testing to assess this relationship also remains uncertain.

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Anion exchange resin (AER) and granular activated carbon (GAC) have emerged as prominent technologies for treatment of waters contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). This study compares the life cycle environmental impacts and life cycle costs of remediating PFAS-contaminated groundwater with these competing technologies, using field pilot data to inform model inputs. Comparative analysis indicates that AER systems employing single-use "PFAS-selective" resins have lower environmental impacts and costs than systems using regenerable resins or GAC adsorbents, supporting its use in future remediation efforts.

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Perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids (PFECAs) are a group of emerging recalcitrant contaminants that are being developed to replace legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in industrial applications and that are generated as by-products in fluoropolymer manufacturing. Here, we report on the removal and destruction of four structurally different PFECAs using an integrated anion exchange resin (AER) and electrochemical oxidation (ECO) treatment train. Results from this work illustrated that (1) flow-through columns packed with PFAS-selective AERs are highly effective for the removal of PFECAs and (2) PFECA affinity is strongly correlated with their hydrophobic features.

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This study reports the results of an 8-month pilot study comparing both regenerable and emerging single-use anion exchange resins (AERs) for treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) at a source zone impacted by historical use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Two regenerable (Purolite A860 and A520E) and three single-use (Purolite PFA694E, Calgon CalRes 2301, and Dowex PSR2+) AERs were tested in parallel, collecting effluent samples after treatment for 30-sec and 2-min total empty bed contact time (EBCT). Results demonstrate that single-use AERs significantly outperform regenerable resins, particularly for treatment of long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs).

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Although anion exchange resin (AER) treatment is considered an effective technology for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from impacted water, the environmental impacts associated with AER regeneration have not been systematically explored. In particular, the trade-offs of altering the composition of the regeneration solution and disposing of or recycling the waste regeneration solution are not known. To fill these important gaps in the literature, this research conducted a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of an AER-based PFAS remediation system with different regeneration scenarios including disposing of waste regeneration solution via incineration, reusing the organic cosolvent and brine fractions of the waste regeneration solution, and altering the composition of the regeneration solution to avoid organic cosolvent or NaCl.

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A key gap in the literature on the treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in impacted water is the absence of a review article dedicated to anion exchange resin (AER) treatment. This gap is important because previous research has consistently shown adsorption by AER to be one of the most effective treatment processes for PFAS removal from impacted water, and AER is one of the most commonly deployed technologies in the field. Given the scope of the previous review articles on PFAS removal by various adsorbent types, the sections on AER do not explore the full depth of PFAS and AER interactions nor cover the breadth of AER testing conditions.

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Despite benefits to the firefighting industry, the release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) into aquatic systems poses significant risks to human health and other organisms. While anion-exchange technologies have proven to be effective for removing perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from water, their effectiveness for removing the diverse PFAS structures discovered in AFFF remains unknown. Here, we report on the adsorption of 75 PFASs, including 63 polyfluorinated substances, in a diluted AFFF mixture using 14 commercially available ion-exchange (IX)/nonionic resins and granular activated carbon (GAC).

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Cold chain transportation is an important link in postharvest logistics of agricultural products. In current study, we developed a novel water-based phase change coolant (PCC), which showed longer effectiveness in maintaining low temperature condition compared with ice, and applied in preserving the postharvest mushrooms. The results showed that the novel PCC effectively inhibited water loss, as well as maintained quality attributes including firmness, color, phenolics, flavonoids, and thus prolonged the shelf-life of mushrooms.

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Better understanding of the fate and persistence of trace organic contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in agricultural soils is critical for assessing the risks associated with using treated wastewater effluent to irrigate crops and land application of wastewater biosolids. This study reports on the influence of prevailing terminal electron-accepting processes (TEAPs, i.e.

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Colour removal in raw sugar remains a crucial but expensive process in the sugar industry. In this report, permanganate (MnO) oxidation is explored as an alternative method to remove colour-inducing constituents in sugar cane juice/produced raw sugar. Experiments indicated alum, an inexpensive coagulant, was able to remove residual Mn species produced after MnO treatment.

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The effect of a low concentration of salt and sugar on the quality and microbial succession in blunt snout bream ( Megalobrama amblycephala) fillets was assessed by sensory analysis, total volatile basic nitrogen, biogenic amines, K value, total viable counts, 16S rRNA gene analysis, and Illumina MiSeq PE300 high-throughput sequencing. Fish samples were left untreated (control), treated with 1.8% salt (T1), or treated with 1.

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The ubiquitous occurrence of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in aquatic and soil environments poses significant risks to human health and ecosystems. Here, we report on the hydrolysis of six OPFRs and three structural analogues in the absence and presence of metal (hydr)oxide minerals. Eight of the target compounds showed marked degradation in alkaline solutions (pH 9-12) with half-lives ranging from 0.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Yida Fang"

  • - Yida Fang's research primarily focuses on developing advanced treatment strategies for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various environmental contexts, emphasizing innovative methods like UV-indole reductive systems and anion exchange resins.
  • - Recent findings indicate that nitrogen gas sparging can enhance the degradation of PFOS, highlighting both potential benefits and challenges in treatment efficiency, as well as the complexities of PFAS leaching and desorption under field conditions.
  • - Comparative life cycle assessments of remediation technologies reveal that single-use anion exchange systems demonstrate lower environmental impacts and costs than traditional regenerable systems, underscoring the need for optimized approaches to PFAS contamination mitigation.

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