TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR REMOVAL OF PFAS USING ION EXCHANGE RESINS
INTRODUCTION
The family of synthetic compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been in use
in various applications since the 1940’s. These compounds have been used in multiple industries including
textile coverings for oil and water repellency, cookware coating, formulation of firefighting foams, and in
materials used in the automotive and electronics industries. More recently, detection of PFAS in
groundwater sources and the issuance of a health advisory level by the U.S. Environmental Protection
agency for PFAS has spurred development of treatment technologies for PFAS containing waters.
To date, the development of enforceable regulations pertaining to PFAS in water has been led at the state
level. A few states have issued Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) and several more have issued health
advisory levels at or below the level issued by the EPA. In states where concentrations exceed MCLs, water
treatment for the removal of PFAS is required.
There are three families of technology generally recognized as currently viable for treatment of PFAS in
drinking water. The three technologies are adsorption by ion exchange resins, adsorption by granular
activated carbon (GAC), and filtration by reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) membranes. This
document will focus on use of ion exchange resins for removal of PFAS, including an overview of the types
of resins that can be considered, the resin chemistries which impart higher selectivity for PFAS, and
considerations for pretreatment which can extend resin life and improve PFAS removal.
RESIN MATRIX
The polymer matrix of an ion exchange resin generally falls into two categories – gel or macroporous. Gel
type ion exchange resins consist of a continuous polymer network typically made up of polystyrene
crosslinked with divinylbenzene. The pores or void volumes in the gel resin are the natural spacing
between polymer chains. This pore size is relatively small, and gel type resins appear transparent upon
inspection. Gel type resins are more common in standard water treating applications and typically have
higher overall capacity and display better regeneration efficiency. A representation of gel type resin is
depicted in the figure below on the left.
A macroporous or macroreticular resin is produced with an additional processing aid during
manufacturing. This additional component, called a porogen, introduces larger pores or void volumes than
are present in a gel resin and is not incorporated into the final product. These macro pores are beneficial
when a feed water has elevated organic content or where a resin may be subjected to thermal or
mechanical shocks. A macroporous resin can be employed in such conditions due to the additional
crosslinking in the polymer structure, imparting good overall bead strength. The image in the figure
below on the right is a representation of a macroporous type resin.
RESIN SELECTION
Removal of PFAS by anionic ion exchange resins has been demonstrated by multiple vendors in numerous
pilot and full-scale studies. Specifically, resins originally designed for perchlorate removal have shown high
selectivity and capacity for PFAS, and the chemistries associated with these resins have guided additional
resin development. The DuPont resin developed for this market is AMBERLITE™ PSR2 Plus Resin. This resin
is a gel type, strong base anion resin functionalized with tri-N-butylamine, a common functional group for
resins employed in PFAS removal from water. This functional group gives the ion exchange site a higher
degree of hydrophobicity relative to traditional strong base anion exchange resins, which results in a
higher affinity for hydrophobic anions like PFAS.
A number of resins, both gel and macroporous type, developed for this market have similar chemical
properties to allow for improved PFAS selectivity, and a table describing a range of offerings and providers
is found below. Note that this table outlines a collection of single use ion exchange resins, which to date
is the majority of applications, though regenerable resin technology is available in the market.
Ion Exchange Resin Resin Source/Manufacturer
AMBERLITE™ PSR2 Plus DuPont Water Solutions
Purofine® PFA694E Purolite
CalRes 2301 Calgon Carbon Corporation
Sorbix PURE LC ECT2 Inc.
ResinTech SIR-110-HP ResinTech Inc.
PRETREATMENT
Ion exchange resins can remove numerous types of charged species from solution, however the
effectiveness of a resin for a specific target molecule can be greatly reduced if certain types of
contaminants are also present in a water stream. The typical contaminants that can interfere with resin
performance are suspended solids, colloidal species, organic compounds including natural organic matter
(NOM), and heavy organics such as oil and grease.
An important first step for any ion exchange process is filtration to remove suspended solids, fine particles,
or larger debris that may be present in the water source. If solids or fine particles reach an ion exchange
bed, they will deposit on the resin causing a decrease in access to resin surfaces and pores and a potential
for increased pressure drop across a column. A variety of filtration media is commercially available and
should be selected based on individual water characteristics. Appropriate media include but is not limited
to sand filters, multimedia filters, fabric or paper filters, diatomaceous earths, or green sand filters.
Presence of NOM is not uncommon for surface water and can pose several challenges for a single use
anion exchange resin. First, anion resins are commonly used for NOM removal and may compete for
exchange sites or limit overall capacity. Second, high molecular weight NOM may accumulate on resin and
cause fouling. Pretreatment to remove NOM should be considered when treating surface water, and the
media may be an additional anion exchange resin or a carbon-based adsorbent.
Oil and other heavy organics must also be removed to prevent surface fouling of ion exchange resin.
Removal of oil, grease, or heavy organics may be accomplished with use of synthetic adsorbents.
Alternative, for streams with higher levels of contamination, continuous coalescence processes are also
available which utilize oleophilic resins to facilitate phase separation.
SAMPLE OF AVAILABLE DATA
Treatment of PFAS with anion exchange resins has been demonstrated in numerous small and large scale
applications. The following collection is a sample of published examples for PFAS removal using ion
exchange resin. These examples also highlight potential system providers in the marketplace.
Treatment of drinking water in Stratmoor Hills Water District: Link
Process water treatment at a New England Electronics Manufacturer: Link
Pilot studies on municipal drinking water: Link
Groundwater treatment in Stuart, Florida: Link
RESIN DISPOSAL
Single use ion exchange resins loaded with PFAS must be disposed of in a responsible manner. In the
absence of data on the leachability of PFAS from used resins over time, landfilling is not recommended.
The current recommendation for spent resin that contains PFAS is disposal by high temperature
incineration. It is the users’ responsibility to ensure disposal follows applicable local regulatory guidelines.
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available in all geographies where DuPont is represented. The claims made may not have been approved for use in all
countries. Please note that physical properties may vary depending on certain conditions and while operating conditions stated
in this document are intended to lengthen product lifespan and/or improve product performance, it will ultimately depend on
actual circumstances and is in no event a guarantee of achieving any specific results. DuPont assumes no obligation or liability
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