Removal Of PFCs With Activated Carbon

In recent years, various perflorinated chemicals (PFCs) have come under increasing scrutiny due to their presence in the environment, in animals, and in human blood samples. There are two major classes of PFCs: perfluoroalkyl sulfonates such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and long chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA).

While these compounds impart valuable properties, including fire resistance and oil, stain, grease, and water repellency to a number of consumer products, during the 1990’s, studies revealed that PFOS was widespread in the blood of the general population and presented concerns for persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. This information led to further studies of PFOA which found that it, too, is very persistent in the environment, is found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general U.S. population, and causes developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.