poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (pfas) in …...• poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (pfas)...

© 2018 The Water Research Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this presentation may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise utilized without permission.

Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water: An Overview and

Related WRF ResearchKenan Ozekin

Senior Research ManagerAlice Fulmer

Regional Liaison

© 2018 The Water Research Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Outline

• Background• Regulations• Occurrence• WRF Research• Conclusions


PFAS in the Headlines


What are PFAS?

• Poly and Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made chemicals.

• The carbon-fluorine bond is the shortest and strongest chemical bond in nature

• Persistent and resistant to degradation • PFAS family=thousands of diverse compounds• PFAS are found in people, wildlife and fish all over the

world.• Some PFAS can stay in people’s bodies a long time. • Some PFAS do not break down easily in the

environment.


Uses of PFAS

• Commercial and consumer products containing PFAS were first introduced in the 1950s

• PFAS have been used for many years to make products that resist heat, stains, grease and water


Human Exposure to PFAS

Landfillleachate (<10,000 ng/L)1

Adapted from Oliaei 2013, Environ Pollut Res1Allred et al. 2014 J Chrom;2 Schultz et al. 2006; Higgins ES&T 20053Schultz et al. 2006 a&b ES&T; 4Ahrens et al. Chemosphere 2015

• Inhalation• ingestion (dust/fibre)

man

ufac

ture

r was

te

liquids

breast milk

Biosolids

(<3,000 ng/g)2

Effluents

(<100 ng/L)3

solids

AFFF-impacted groundwater = up to mg/L

was

tew

ater

trea

tmen

tAFFF

AFFF-impacted surface water ~ 100s ng/L4

cord blood

goods

WRF Project 4322 Webcast


Biomonitoring NHANES PFAS Data

*No serum available in 2001-2 aMeasured as isomers

*


History of PFAS

1950s• 1949 - 3M began producing PFOS based compunds

1960s• 1967 - FDA approved use in food packaging

2000s

• 2002 - 3M phased out PFOS production• 2008 - 3M phased out PFOA production

2010 to Present

• 2015 - All manufacturers phased out PFOA production


Potential Health Effects – Further Research Needed• Animals

• Increased liver weight (critical effect)• Spleen, thymus, and developmental• Cancer—liver, testis, pancreas

• Humans• Possible changes in growth, learning and behavior• Decreased fertility• Increased cholesterol• Immune effects• Cancer—kidney, bladder, testicular, prostate


Regulations

• No Federal Regulations• Health Advisories

EPA Provisional Health Advisory, 2009Short-term adverse health effectsPFOS: 200 ppt, PFOA: 400 ppt

EPA Health Advisory, 2016Long-term adverse health effectsPFOS: 70 ppt, PFOA: 70 ppt, PFOS + PFOA: 70 ppt

“EPA's health advisories are non-enforceable and non-regulatory and provide technical information to states agencies and other public health officials on health effects, analytical methodologies, and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contamination.”


Regulations

• Several states have passed groundwater quality regulations for PFOA.

• In West Virginia and Ohio, residents must be provided with alternative drinking water when PFOA levels exceed 70 ppt.

• Minnesota has adopted a Chronic Health Risk Limit of 300 ppt for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.

• New Jersey has established a preliminary health-based guidance of 40 ppt for PFOA in drinking water.


PFAS Occurrence

Source: Hu XC et al., Environmental Science & Technology Letters

© 2018 The Water Research Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this presentation may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise utilized without permission.

Water Research Foundation PFAS Research


WRF PFAS Research


Summary of PFAS removals for various treatment processes

Source – WRF Project 4322 Final Report


WRF Current Research

• New Focus Area titled “Management, analysis, removal, fate and transport of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water”

• Objectives• Analysis of emerging and unidentified PFAS• Vulnerability of waters to PFAS and identification of

sources and hotspots• Management alternatives for PFAS• Behavior, fate, and transport of PFAS in treatment• Treatment and removal of PFAS


Potential FA Projects• Investigation of water quality impacts on removal of PFAS by GAC and IX• Investigation of PFAS treatment in surface water• Investigation of treatment alternatives for short-chain PFAS• Fate and transport of PFAS in wastewater treatment and biosolids• Oxidation of PFAS precursors and PFAS formation • Qualitative structure activity relationships for predicting removal of new and

emerging PFAS• Testing and development of innovative treatment technologies for PFAS removal• Analytical method development to detect emerging and currently unidentified

PFAS• Investigation of alternative management strategies to prevent PFAS from

entering drinking water supplies (e.g., policies, pre-treatment of point-sources)• Occurrence of hot spots and major sources of PFAS


New RFP

• Title - Investigation of Treatment Alternatives for Short-Chain Poly and Perfluoroalkyl Substances

• Objectives• The objective of this project is to investigate treatment

alternatives for short-chain PFASs in drinking water sources.

• Approach• Testing of variety of technologies• Using both surface and groundwater sources• Testing a range of operating conditions


New DOD Project

• Title - Evaluation and Life Cycle Comparison of Ex-Situ Treatment Technologies for Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Groundwater

• Lead Organization: The Water Research Foundation (PI: Alice Fulmer)

• Research Team: Colorado School of Mines (Chris Bellona, Chris Higgins), North Carolina State University (Detlef Knappe), University of Colorado – Boulder (Sherri Cook), CDM Smith (Charles Schaefer)

• It is under contract


Project Objectives To compare established & emerging PFAS treatment approaches on a life-cycle assessment (LCA) and costing (LCC) basis, and to provide a framework for selection of effective treatment technologies

• Synthesis and generation of data to assess PFAS treatment using LCA & LCC using various treatment scenarios and metrics

• Comprehensive side-by-side comparison of competing technologies for removal and/or destruction of a variety of PFASs in groundwater

• Established treatment technologies include granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange (IX), GAC followed by IX, and nanofiltration or reverse osmosis (NF/RO)

• Emerging treatment technology is superfine powdered activated carbon (sPAC) with separation by ceramic microfiltration (MF) with possible inclusion of destructive technologies (i.e., electrochemical, non-thermal plasma and UV-sensitized treatment processes) for treatment of residuals (i.e., IX regenerant, RO/NF concentrate)

• Development of a treatment technology decision support tool based on data & stakeholder input


Task 1 – Experimental Design and Data Needs

Task 1a – Database and Framework DevelopmentTask 1b – Expert Panel Feedback

Task 2 – Lab-Scale Treatability Study

Task 2a – Work Plan and System Design Task 2b – Lab-Scale Experimentation

Task 4 – Technology Transition

Task 3 – Comprehensive Evaluation of PFASTreatment Approaches

Task 3a – Technology Characterization and Sub-Model Creation

Task 3c – Decision Support ToolTask 3b – Life Cycle Metrics Analysis

Task 5 – Management and Reporting

Task 4a – Workshop Task 4b – Outreach

Integration of Project Tasks to Support Objectives


Conclusions

• PFAAs are extremely persistent and bioaccumulative. • Some are highly water soluble thus a major pathway for

human exposure is the consumption of contaminated drinking water.

• Ineffective water treatment techniques: • Ferric or alum coagulation • Granular filtration, microfiltration, ultrafiltration • Aeration/oxidation: permanganate, ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide• Disinfection: ozone, chlorine dioxide, chlorine, and chloramines

• Anion exchange and granular activated carbon treatment preferably removed longer-chain PFAAs and the PFSAs compared to the PFCAs.

• Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration demonstrated significant removal for all the PFAAs.

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