Electrochemical oxidation processes for PFAS removal from contaminated water and wastewater: fundamentals, gaps and opportunities towards practical implementation

Electrochemical oxidation (EO) is emerging as one of the most promising methods for the degradation of recalcitrant per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water and wastewater, as these compounds cannot be effectively treated with conventional bio- or chemical approaches. This review examines the state of the art of EO for PFASs destruction, and comprehensively compares operating parameters and treatment performance indicators for both synthetic and real contaminated water and wastewater media. The evaluation shows the need to use environmentally-relevant media to properly quantify the effectiveness/efficiency of EO for PFASs treatment. Additionally, there is currently a lack of quantification of sorption losses, resulting in a likely over-estimation of process’ efficiencies. Furthermore, the majority of experimental results to date indicate that short-chain PFASs are the most challenging and need to be prioritized as environmental regulations become more stringent. Finally, and with a perspective towards practical implementation, several operational strategies are proposed, including processes combining up-concentration followed by EO destruction. [Display omitted] •A comprehensive review of the state of the art on Electrochemical Oxidation of PFASs.•Extensive research compilation into tables allow for critical comparisons.•PFAS sorption has been ignored and needs to be controlled/quantified.•Research and knowledge gaps towards practical implementation of EO are discussed.•Most promising strategies, including use of up-concentration steps, are reviewed.