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Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 37
of NTP treatment. PFAS had been mineralized with OM using NTP technology to achieve high degradation 287
rates. This shows that the dissolved OM can compete with reactive species produced by NTP, slowing down 288
their overall rate of transition into other pollutants. Previous research on the relationship between pH and 289
PFAS decomposition reveals various outcomes. Some studies have shown that in acidic circumstances, 290
oxidative species production led to more effective responses. Additionally, the treatment of PFAS with plasma 291
results in acidic treated water; hence, the ensuing low pH must be corrected before use. Finally, the mechanism 292
by which the plasma technique mineralizes PFAS is yet unknown, and various route ideas on its process are 293
employed in the literature. It is frequently noted that shorter-chain PFAS develop. The experimental settings 294
determine the conversion rate and the type of by-products that are produced [75]. As a result, outdoor 295
demonstration tests are only possible with small-scale reactors. 296
3.6 Photocatalysis 297
Photocatalysis is a process in which a material is activated when a photon is absorbed in the presence of a 298
photocatalyst, speeding up the destruction reaction. Generally, these photocatalysts are semiconductors. Due 299
to their uses in solar energy conversion and environmental purification, photocatalyst usage has increased. 300
They may also be used to clean up organic pollutants in the air and water [81]. As an advanced oxidation 301
process (AOP), photocatalysis technology may be used to oxidise a variety of organic pollutants. 302
Heterogeneous photocatalytic materials have demonstrated broad applicability due to their effectiveness in 303
degrading recalcitrant organic compounds, which are similar to PFASs in their characteristics [81]. These 304
catalysts include Fe2O, ZnO, Ga2O3, TiO2, In2O3, and CdS, to name a few. Presently, titanium dioxide (TiO2) 305
is a compound that has been extensively experimented with because of its application in degrading organic 306
pollutants and achieving satisfactory mineralization at a relatively lower cost compared to other technologies 307
[82]. 308
It is difficult to break the Carbon-Fluorine bond by direct photolysis, however photodegradation 309
is offered over a broad range of wavelengths [83, 84]. However, when photocatalysts absorb light energy, 310
it produces negatively charged electrons and positively charged hole pairs, which migrate to the surface and 311
react with the absorbed PFAS [85]. The first cycle, as seen in the cycle, eliminates two fluorine atoms and one 312
carbon atom; after that, it will keep shortening the chain until the PFAS molecule is completely broken down. 313
It was found that adding carbon materials expands the photocatalysts' range of absorbable frequencies, making 314