Abstract
Per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are concerning contaminants due to their ubiquity, persistence, and toxicity. Conventional PFAS water treatments such as granular activated carbon are limited by low adsorption rates and capacities. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are promising PFAS adsorbents due to sustainable sourcing, large surface areas, and amenable surface properties. In this study, CNCs were synthesized from apple pomace (APCNC), and coated with Moringa oleifera cationic protein (MOCP) to produce MOCP/APCNC for the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water. APCNC and MOCP/APCNC were utilized in PFOA batch adsorption kinetics and equilibrium trials. APCNC was successfully produced from AP, determined through characterization and comparison to commercial CNC (CCNC). APCNC and MOCP/APCNC exhibited rapid PFOA adsorption, approaching equilibrium within 15 minutes. MOCP coatings inverted MOCP/CNC surface charge to cationic (-15.07 to 7.38 mV), and enhanced PFOA adsorption rate (2.65E-03 to 5.05E-03 g/mg/s), capacity (47.1 to 61.1 mg/g).