MASc Oral Exam | Nanocellulose-based systems for the removal of perfluoroalkyl compounds from water, by Iflah Shahid

Iflah Shahid, supervised by Professor Tam will complete his MASc oral exam on August 13th.

Abstract:

 Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are linked to several human health issues and there is an urgent need to develop sustainable removal technologies for PFAS remediation. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) offer a sustainable, green approach for the development of adsorbents. In this study, CNCs were successfully modified to prepare positively charged CNCs and CNCs that would promote hydrophobic interactions with PFAS. The adsorbents achieved up to 56.5% removal of a 4 carbon PFAS, showing that these CNC-based adsorbents enhance short-chain PFAS removal from water.