Electrochemical degradation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in the presence of natural organic matter

•Natural organic matter (NOM) of water matrices interferes in the destruction of PFAS.•Electrochemical oxidation (EO) scissors long-chain PFAS even in the presence of NOM.•Anode and cathode materials in electrochemical cells are essential for degrading PFAS.•Advanced reduction processes (ARP) effectively destroys long and short-chain PFAS without NOM.•A combination of ARP and EOP may achieve complete destruction of PFAS in water matrices.