BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 269 IHSS&IWA26 / BRNO / CZECHIA / 23–28 August 2026 Hall A Poster Session / Technologies and Applications P5.8 Development of Artificial Humin-Derived Activated Carbon from Spent Coffee Grounds for Adsorptive Removal of PFAS Jinsol Hong1, Hyunsang Shin1† 1 Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Seoul 01811, South Korea † Corresponding author: Hyunsang Shin (hyuns@seoultech.ac.kr) Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are characterized by highly stable carbon–fluorine (C–F) bonds, which render them resistant to environmental degradation. As a result, they persist in the environment and can induce toxicity upon exposure to ecosystems and the human body. Among various treatment methods, adsorption has been widely recognized as one of the most effective approaches for PFAS removal, and extensive research has been conducted on surface modification of activated carbon to enhance PFAS adsorption capacity. Hydrothermal carbonization-based artificial humification converts waste biomass into artificial humin (hydrochar) with a uniform carbon structure, making it a suitable precursor for activated carbon production. Compared to pyrolysis-based biochar, this process operates at relatively low temperatures (around 200°C), resulting in lower energy consumption. In addition, it allows the direct use of wet biomass without the need for drying pretreatment [1]. In this study, spent coffee grounds (SCG) were subjected to hydrothermal carbonization to produce artificial humin, followed by chemical activation using KOH to synthesize activated carbon with microporous structures for the effective removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a representative PFAS compound. For comparison with SCG, major biomass components such as lignin and cellulose were also converted into artificial humins and activated carbons using the same methodology. The physicochemical properties of each synthesized artificial humin and activated carbon were characterized through elemental analysis, BET surface area measurements, and iodine and methylene blue adsorption tests. Based on these evaluations, the activated carbon exhibiting the most superior properties was selected for surface functionalization. Nitrogen groups were introduced via thermal treatment using nitrogen-containing compounds (e.g., urea) to enhance electrostatic interactions with negatively charged PFOA, thereby improving adsorption performance. The surface characteristics of the nitrogen-doped activated carbon were analyzed using BET and XPS. Additionally, batch adsorption tests
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