Challenges of PFAS Remediation (2023)

FAQs

Why are PFAS difficult to remove? ›

PFAS are very soluble in aquatic systems, making them difficult to remove from various water sources. The chemical nature of PFAS makes biodegradation, photolysis and hydrolysis more challenging.

PFAS Sampling Challenges

The sheer quantity of PFAS compounds in existence, low detection levels required, and challenging field sampling practices make up some of the other difficulties surrounding PFAS detection and delineation. Many field materials typically used in sampling may contain PFAS.

It is currently known that three treatment processes can be effective for PFAS removal: granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membrane systems.

Farewell to 'forever' – Destroying PFAS by grinding it up with a new additive. Researchers destroy PFAS found in soils by grinding them with metal balls and boron nitride. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are potentially harmful substances known as “forever chemicals” because they are so difficult to destroy.

There are a few technologies that have been widely tested for PFAS removal, including reverse osmosis (RO), granular activated carbon (GAC) filters and ion exchange. All three come in point-of-entry (POE) configurations.

The most common treatment approach for achieving PFAS risk removal is groundwater extraction and filtration. This approach involves interceptor wells that pump groundwater to the surface and filter out the PFAS using granular activated carbon or ion-exchange resins.

Some of the highest PFAS levels detected were in samples from major metropolitan areas, including Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans and the northern New Jersey suburbs of New York City.

Drinking water is one of the most significant pathways of PFAS exposure. PFAS have contaminated the tap water of at least 200 million people in 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as groundwater in at least 38 states.

Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis (RO) is an effective method of micro-filtration. It is known for the removal of ions, chemicals, and micro-sediment filtration via a semipermeable membrane. Commonly, the reverse osmosis technology is a very effective treatment of drinking water to remove PFOA and PFOS.

What is EPA doing about PFAS? ›

In February 2023, EPA announced the availability of $2 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS, in drinking water across the country.

Many PFAS, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are a concern because they: do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife.

It's impossible to completely avoid PFAS, a class of human-made chemicals that has been linked to a growing list of serious medical concerns. There are thousands of types of PFAS, and many are not well studied. Yet they're in everything from stain-resistant rugs to dental floss, outdoor gear, food packaging and soil.

Michigan has the highest levels of PFAS in the U.S.

The cheapest way to remove PFAS from water is typically by using activated carbon filters. These filters are relatively low cost, easy to install, and require minimal maintenance compared to other filtration methods. However, it's essential to regularly replace the filter cartridges to maintain their effectiveness.

Common water pitcher brands like Brita and Pur are perfectly fine if you want to reduce bad-tasting chlorine and contaminants like heavy metals. But they weren't designed to remove PFAS or even reduce their concentration in your tap water.

In May 2022, EPA took an important step forward to protect people from PFAS by adding five PFAS to a list of risk-based values for site cleanups. These values, known as Regional Screening Levels and Regional Remedial Management Levels, help EPA determine if response or remediation activities are needed.

Does bottled water contain PFAS? PFAS have been found in some brands of bottled water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not put enforceable limits in place yet.

Some forms of PFAS can take over 1000 years to degrade. This persistence is why the actions we take today have such a huge effect on the state of our world tomorrow. A paper bag might disintegrate and slowly disappear from sight, but the chemicals left behind could be damaging the environment for thousands for years.

The major sources of PFAS contamination in drinking water, groundwater, soils, and air include: Fire training/fire response sites. Industrial sites. Landfills.

What is the current research on PFAS and its health effects? ›

Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to: Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.

There are two types of groundwater remediation: in-situ and ex-situ. In-situ means in place or on-site, while ex-situ means off-site. In-situ involves cleaning the groundwater where it is currently situated, whereas ex-situ involves having the groundwater excavated and then taken off-site.

For example, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin enacted legislation regulating PFAS in firefighting foam and firefighting equipment. New York also established requirements for consumer notices for the use of PFAS and other chemicals in children's products.

One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans.

While PFAS cannot be removed from the body, you should avoid the following common PFAS containing products: Packaged foods: Especially those with oil-repellent coatings, such as microwave popcorn bags, fast-food packages, and wrappers for greasy foods.

Water filtration technologies that remove PFAS

The LifeStraw Home Pitcher is one of the most effective products to combat PFAS; its dual filtration technology combines membrane microfiltration with activated carbon and advanced ion exchange technology to remove PFOA and PFOS from water.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have launched real-world pilot tests of their water treatment method. Canadian researchers said they have developed a method to filter toxic “forever chemicals” from water and potentially destroy the long-lasting compounds permanently.

Distillation is a highly effective method of removing PFAS from water. On average, distilled water is free from around 99% PFAS. PFAS have a higher boiling point than water, which means they're left behind in the distillation chamber when water evaporates.

What is Biden doing about PFAS? ›

His Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $9 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS and other contamination reduce levels in drinking water.

When Do These State Laws Start to Come into Effect? California and New York's PFAS food packaging ban laws come into effect at the start of 2023. A related law in Maine, which imposes notification obligations on companies that market products containing PFAS, also comes into effect January 1, 2023.

Filters containing activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes have been shown to be effective at removing PFAS from water supplies. All water treatment units require regular maintenance to work properly.

Awareness of Public Health Impacts

Awareness of the presence of PFAAs can be attributed to occupational studies in the 1970s that found detections of some PFAS in the blood of exposed workers, and further studies in the 1990s that reported detections in the blood of the general human population (Buck et al. 2011).

Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a compostable plastic typically made from corn—made by a number of manufacturers including Natureworks under the Ingeo® brand and used by Eco-Products , Greensafe Products, GrowPlastics, and World Centric®.

Both granular activated carbon (GAC) and reverse osmosis (RO) filters can reduce PFAS substances. Both systems provide less water flow than a standard water faucet.

In the body, they primarily settle into the blood, kidney and liver. A study from 2007 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that PFAS chemicals could be detected in the blood of 98% of the US population.

Michigan has the most PFAS contaminated sites in the U.S., according to new data. An update to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows Michigan with by far the most sites (192), but the report says it could be attributed to a more comprehensive testing program.

PFAS chemicals have been found in 99% of the humans tested and are known to cause a long list of cancers, birth defects, infertility, thyroid disease and more. This group of chemicals are “forever chemicals” because they never go away, not from the environment and not from our bodies.

The same chemical properties that make PFAS so effective in firefighting foams and other products make them particularly hard to remediate. PFAS chemicals have very limited reactivity. As a result, PFAS is both highly persistent in the environment and bioaccumulative in human and animal tissues.

What makes PFAS so persistent? ›

However, despite their diversity, PFAS do share one common structural feature that makes them highly problematic, namely the presence of perfluoroalkyl moieties, resulting in their shared resistance to environmental and metabolic degradation.

PFAS, or per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and man-made processes that attempt to destroy them are expensive, energy intensive and have yielded questionable results.

Michigan has the highest levels of PFAS in the U.S.

Because PFAS are long-lasting and bioaccumulative, their widespread use means that all of us have been exposed to PFAS chemicals, have PFAS in our bloodstreams, and encounter PFAS in the environment including, most dangerously, in public drinking water systems.

Common water pitcher brands like Brita and Pur are perfectly fine if you want to reduce bad-tasting chlorine and contaminants like heavy metals. But they weren't designed to remove PFAS or even reduce their concentration in your tap water.

Boiling water for drinking will not reduce PFAS exposures. Bottled water is not required to be tested for PFAS. Some manufacturers may test for it.

Inside E. coli bacteria, researchers have found an enzyme, C-P lyase, that enables the microbe to degrade highly stable chemicals.