Polyacrylamide degradation and its implications in environmental systems

Boya Xiong, Rebeca Dettam Loss, Derrick Shields, Taylor Pawlik, Richard Hochreiter, Andrew L. Zydney, Manish Kumar

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

353 Scopus citations

Abstract

High molecular weight (106–3 × 107 Da) polyacrylamide (PAM) is commonly used as a flocculant in water and wastewater treatment, as a soil conditioner, and as a viscosity modifier and friction reducer in both enhanced oil recovery and high volume hydraulic fracturing. These applications of PAM can result in significant environmental challenges, both in water management and in contamination of local water supplies after accidental spills. This paper provides a short review of current applications of high molecular weight PAM, including the potential for PAM degradation by chemical, mechanical, thermal, photolytic, and biological processes. Methods for treating wastewater containing partially degraded PAM are then discussed along with issues related to the potential toxicity and mobility of PAM in the environment after disposal or accidental release.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number17
Journalnpj Clean Water
Volume1
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Partial support for this work was provided by a Penn State College of Engineering Innovation Grant and a seed grant through the Center for Collaborative Research in Intelligent Gas Systems (CCRINGS) program funded by General Electric (GE). Additional support was provided by the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center small grants program.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Polyacrylamide degradation and its implications in environmental systems'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this