Sustainable PFAS removal using engineered poultry litter biochar hydrogel composites

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded Morgan State University $499,903 on September 1, 2026, under the Integrative Activities program to develop engineered biochar hydrogel composites derived from poultry litter for the sustainable removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water, agricultural lands, and natural ecosystems.

The project addresses knowledge gaps in designing poultry-litter-derived biochar materials capable of efficient PFAS contaminant removal, long-term stability, regeneration, and scalable field implementation. Deliverables include transforming poultry litter into advanced remediation materials, establishing fundamental understanding of relationships between engineered biochar properties and contaminant interactions, strengthening environmental engineering research capacity through interdisciplinary research and workforce development, providing research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance agricultural understanding. The project will engage stakeholders throughout the research process to align scientific advances with practical implementation needs.

Performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, with work performed in Baltimore, Maryland. The Integrative Activities program supports capacity-building in science and engineering and broadens participation in research and education across the nation's STEM enterprise.

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a class of persistent synthetic chemicals that have become widespread contaminants of drinking water, agricultural lands, and natural ecosystems because of their exceptional chemical stability and resistance to conventional treatment technologies. At the same time, poultry production generates substantial quantities of litter that present continuing waste management challenges while remaining an underutilized resource. Although engineered biochar has emerged as a promising sustainable sorbent, important knowledge gaps remain regarding the design of engineered poultry-litter-derived biochar materials capable of achieving efficient contaminant removal, long-term stability, regeneration, and scalable field implementation. This project addresses these challenges by transforming poultry litter into advanced remediation materials that simultaneously protect water and soil resources, promote agricultural waste valorization, and support circular resource management, allowing agricultural waste to become a further source of economic support. The project will strengthen environmental engineering research capacity through interdisciplinary research and workforce development, provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance agricultural understanding, and engage stakeholders throughout the research process to ensure that scientific advances are aligned with practical implementation needs. The anticipated outcomes will support sustainable agricultural waste management, improve environmental quality, and contribute to informed decision-making for protecting water resources and public health. The project will establish fundamentally understanding of the relationships among engineered poultry-litter-derived biochar properties, contaminant interactions, and treatment performance under environmentally relevant conditions. Engineered poultry-litter-derived biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite materials will be synthesized through controlled thermal conversion, chemical modification, and composite engineering to enhance the removal and immobilization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and soil systems. Laboratory adsorption experiments, continuous-flow column investigations, and soil transport studies will quantify adsorption mechanisms, contaminant transport behavior, regeneration potential, and long-term material stability while generating engineering design criteria for scalable treatment systems. Experimental data will be integrated with machine learning to identify relationships between material properties and treatment performance, optimize material design, and predict treatment efficiency under diverse environmental conditions. Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis will evaluate carbon CO-benefits, resource efficiency, and economic feasibility to support engineering decision-making and future implementation with the aid of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The research is expected to generate new scientific knowledge on sustainable waste-derived remediation materials, establish engineering principles for scalable treatment technologies, and advance practical solutions that integrate contaminant remediation, agricultural waste valorization, and circular resource utilization for long-term resource protection. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.