Physical Engineering Department Seminar Series

📍 J. Armand Bombardier J-1035, Polytechnique Montréal
🗓️ Thursday, April 4th/2024
🕜 11:30

Chemical engineering at Clarkson University in New York.

Abstract: Some consumer products are stain-resistant, non-stick, waterproof and lethal. They contain PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), also known as the Forever Chemicals. PFAS are a large chemical family of over 9,000 highly persistent chemicals that don’t occur in nature. The widespread use of PFAS, complicated with their environmental release, mobility, fate and transport has resulted in multiple exposure routes for humans. Numerous studies have found significant associations between PFAS exposure and negative immune and metabolic outcomes.

PFAS are notoriously difficult to remediate using traditional treatment methods due to the strong carbon-fluorine bonds comprising these compounds. However, several emerging technologies including the electrical discharge plasma technique developed by Clarkson researchers have shown significant promise in destroying PFAS. This talk discusses the mechanisms of plasma-based degradation of PFAS, the role of reactive oxidative species in PFAS mineralization, byproducts of degradation and introduces a novel plasma spinning disc reactor for the treatment of short-chain PFAS.

Bio: Selma Mededovic Thagard is the Richard and Helen March professor of chemical engineering at Clarkson University. Thagard received her BS in chemical engineering from the University of Zagreb in Croatia and her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Florida State University. Before coming to Clarkson, Thagard held post-doctoral appointments at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan and at Colorado State University. Her expertise is in electrical discharge plasma processes and plasma reactor design with a focus on environmental remediation. Thagard has coauthored >60 peer reviewed journal articles and 3 book chapters and made over 60 invited lectures at universities and conferences throughout the world. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Defense, and US Air Force, among other agencies. Thagard serves on the Editorial Boards of Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Plasma Sources Science and Technology and is an Associate Editor of Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.

Contact: stephan.reuter@polymtl.ca