Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are called “the forever chemicals” for a reason. These man-made compounds can be incredibly environmentally persistent and have been shown to build up in the tissues of plants, animals, and people. Most widely available PFAS treatment solutions focus on removing the PFAS. However, to solve the challenge of PFAS environmental contamination wholistically, both sequestering and destruction approaches will frequently be utilized in tandem.
No Easy Answers
Current treatment methods tend to focus on PFAS removal rather than destruction. For example, granular activated carbon (GAC) resin and reverse osmosis have both been successfully used to remove PFAS from drinking water. However, concentration methods, such as reverse osmosis, can be costly to implement on a large scale. Even with federal and state funding available, these technologies can be a significant cost to municipalities. Methods such as GAC and Ion Exchange resin (IX) produce spent media that will be either be regenerated for further use or could potentially wind up as waste at landfills.
Several emerging technologies are showing promise for treating PFAS in drinking water. For an overview of these, I invite you to watch our on-demand webinar:
Watch: Navigating PFAS in Drinking Water: Treatability Insights and Analytical Overview
Remediation of solid matrices is even more complex, and disposing of contaminated soils and biosolids in a landfill simply relocates the problem. Landfills may even recirculate PFAS back into the water treatment system if contaminated landfill leachate is sent to the water treatment facility for processing.
Biosolids are often incinerated, but the EPA’s guidance documents show that many questions remain about the efficacy or safety of incineration as a means of PFAS disposal. For example, the EPA’s recently released Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment was intended to assess the potential human health and environmental risks associated with land application, surface disposal, and incineration of sewage sludge that contains PFOA or PFOS. Unfortunately, there were enough data gaps to prevent a quantitative risk assessment for incineration.
On an interesting side note, the EPA’s most recent Interim Guidance on the Destruction and Disposal of PFAS shared data on how sewage sludge is disposed of in the United States. In 2021, the year for which the report provided data, only 14% was incinerated, which may help explain why data is limited. Land application as a soil amendment remained high at 43% despite increasing recognition of the risks to agriculture. Landfilling was almost as popular at 40%.
Thankfully, scientists and engineers are working on these PFAS treatment challenges. Many new treatment and destruction options are being worked on daily to assist in solving the challenges that PFAS presents in a multitude of environmental matrices. I believe with the focus and resources we are seeing in the treatability market tremendous progress over the next several years is almost a certainty.
Pace® PFAS Treatability Studies
To help our clients find and validate solutions, Pace® is proud to announce the opening of the first-ever PFAS Treatability Studies Center of Excellence in two of our New England laboratories. The Pace® PFAS Treatability Studies COE leverages our considerable expertise in analyzing a wide range of aqueous and solid matrices to help clients evaluate the effectiveness of technologies and strategies for PFAS removal, remediation, and destruction. Here are a few examples of studies we’ve helped clients conduct: .png?width=369&height=369&name=BLOG%20IMAGE%20SQUARE%20(4).png)
PFAS Removal – Removing PFAS from drinking water sources has long been a top concern. One of our first Treatability Studies projects involved helping the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA). After discovering elevated levels of PFAS in the local aquifer, they engaged Pace® to analyze the efficacy of granular active carbon (GAC) filters for removing PFAS and total organic carbon. The method proved successful. Like many water systems around the country, the FKAA is monitoring their waters to ensure the continued efficacy of their GAC filters.
PFAS Remediation – In 2024, the EPA designated PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, paving the way for industrial sites across the country to be added to the Superfund National Priorities List if PFAS contamination is suspected. Analyzing PFAS in local environmental samples can help assess potential liabilities and inform remediation strategies.
Pace® PFAS testing services help clients address this challenge by providing testing services for groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, and more. Bedrock is a particularly challenging matrix to analyze. At the site of a former upholstery manufacturer in the Northeast, Pace® worked with several partners to adapt COREDFN, a technology for analyzing VOCs in bedrock, for analyzing PFAS.
PFAS Destruction – The carbon-fluorine bond that defines PFAS is one of the strongest in nature, making PFAS destruction one of the most difficult challenges of all. However, promising new technologies are emerging every day. Pace® PFAS Treatability Studies helped technology developer Onvector validate the efficacy of its novel Plasma Vortex solution for destroying PFAS in potable and non-potable water.
Meeting Our Commitments So You Can Meet Yours
By conducting a PFAS Treatability Study, environmental engineers and scientists can optimize remediation strategies, ensure regulatory compliance, and build public trust. To learn more, visit our website or contact our PFAS Treatability Studies Center of Excellence to discuss a potential project.
