Fig. 6: Illustration of adsorption removal mechanism for PFAS removal based on charge and hydrophobicity. | npj Clean Water

Fig. 6: Illustration of adsorption removal mechanism for PFAS removal based on charge and hydrophobicity.

From: Technology status to treat PFAS-contaminated water and limiting factors for their effective full-scale application

Fig. 6

a Due to opposing charges, the negatively charged PFAS heads will be attracted to the positively charged surface (electrostatic attraction), b similar charges will result in repulsion, the negatively charged PFAS heads will repel a negatively charged surface (electrostatic repulsion), c when the hydrophobic tails of the PFAS interact with hydrophobic surfaces they tend to cluster together minimizing water interaction (hydrophobic interactions).

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