Long-term investigation on the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant in the Veneto Region, Italy

Bertanza, Giorgio; Capoferri, Giacomo Umberto; Carmagnani, Massimo; Icarelli, F.; Sorlini, Sabrina; Pedrazzani, Roberta

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139154

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In both cases PFOS removal was found to be the most efficient with the parent compound no longer detected after 30 min of treatment. The promising degradation results obtained for tested compounds and in particular for PFAS, suggest that this technology could be efficiently used for the treatment of contaminated groundwater, especially when water conductivity is low; environmental concentrations of PFAS in contaminated groundwater where the illicit discharge was done, typically fall within the concentration range explored in this work [9,[38][39][40][41][42]. Being the PFAS probably the most recalcitrant compounds among the contaminants of emerging concern, the promising results with PFAS makes us confident that the plasma technology here investigated is also able to degrade less inert compounds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

PFAS Degradation in Ultrapure and Groundwater Using Non-Thermal Plasma

Palma

Papagiannaki²,

Lai³

et al. 2021

Molecules

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Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent one of the most recalcitrant class of compounds of emerging concern and their removal from water is a challenging goal. In this study, we investigated the removal efficiency of three selected PFAS from water, namely, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and pefluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) using a custom-built non-thermal plasma generator. A modified full factorial design (with 2 levels, 3 variables and the central point in which both quadratic terms and interactions between couple of variables were considered) was used to investigate the effect of plasma discharge frequency, distance between the electrodes and water conductivity on treatment efficiency. Then, the plasma treatment running on optimized conditions was used to degrade PFAS at ppb level both individually and in mixture, in ultrapure and groundwater matrices. PFOS 1 ppb exhibited the best degradation reaching complete removal after 30 min of treatment in both water matrices (first order rate constant 0.107 min−1 in ultrapure water and 0.0633 min−1 in groundwater), while the degradation rate of PFOA and PFHxA was slower of around 65% and 83%, respectively. During plasma treatment, the production of reactive species in the liquid phase (hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide) and in the gas phase (ozone, NOx) was investigated. Particular attention was dedicated to the nitrogen balance in solution where, following to NOx hydrolysis, total nitrogen (TN) was accumulated at the rate of up to 40 mgN L−1 h−1.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

PFAS Degradation in Ultrapure and Groundwater Using Non-Thermal Plasma

Palma

Papagiannaki²,

Lai³

et al. 2021

Molecules

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“…24 PFBA is reported to have relatively weak adsorption affinity toward GAC, as indicated by its early breakthrough in adsorption column tests; 87,88 on the other hand, PFBS shows greater adsorption affinity. 88 This trend is almost identical to what is observed for C 8 PFAS (Figure 3). Contrary to C 4 and C 8 PFAS, the replacement compound, GenX, shows nearly complete decomposition at 175 °C (Figure 3).…”

Section: Role Of Pfas Chemical Structure Onmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle

Baghirzade

Zhang

Reuther

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

112

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Extensive use of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has caused their ubiquitous presence in natural waters. One of the standard practices for PFAS removal from water is adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC); however, this approach generates a new waste stream, i.e., PFAS-laden GAC. Considering the recalcitrance of PFAS molecules in the environment, inadequate disposal (e.g., landfill or incineration) of PFAS-laden GAC may let PFAS back into the aquatic cycle. Therefore, developing approaches for PFAS-laden GAC management present unique opportunities to break its forever circulation within the aqueous environment. This comprehensive review evaluates the past two decades of research on conventional thermal regeneration of GAC and critically analyzes and summarizes the literature on regeneration of PFAS-laden GACs. Optimized thermal regeneration of PFAS-laden GACs may provide an opportunity to employ existing regeneration infrastructure to mineralize the adsorbed PFAS and recover the spent GAC. The specific objectives of this review are (i) to investigate the role of physicochemical properties of PFAS on thermal regeneration, (ii) to assess the changes in regeneration yield as well as GAC physical and chemical structure upon thermal regeneration, and (iii) to critically discuss regeneration parameters controlling the process. This literature review on the engineered regeneration process illustrates the significant promise of this approach that can break the endless environmental cycle of these forever chemicals, while preserving the desired physicochemical properties of the valuable GAC adsorbent.

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“…Short-chain PFASs possess limited adsorption to sediments and soils due to their lower Koc, contributing to a relatively high percentage of total PFASs in the aquatic environment [39]. In addition, the removal efficiency of short-chain PFASs during drinking water treatment is relatively limited, even with advanced treatment processes such as granular activated carbon, ion-exchange, and membrane treatment [40]. In some remote areas like Urumqi, Lhasa, and northeastern China, the PFASs in drinking water are thought to mainly originate from longdistance transport.…”

Section: Levels and Mixture Profiles Of Pfass In Chinese Drinking Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution

Liu

Huang

et al. 2021

Environ Sci Eur

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Background In recent years, the widespread presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the environment and the related exposures and adverse health effects has received increasing attention. However, PFASs are not routinely monitored in drinking water in many parts of the world, including China. PFAS data are mainly generated by research studies. This paper provides an overview of the available research studies on PFASs in Chinese drinking water to better understand the current status of PFAS contamination and the potential for exposure. Results The available studies provided PFAS data from 526 drinking water samples across 66 cities in China with a total of approximately 452 million inhabitants. We mapped the risk distribution associated with PFAS-contaminated drinking water in China by comparing the measured levels with recent international guidelines. The PFAS concentrations reported in more than 20% of the studied cities, likely affecting 98.5 million people, were above the maximum contaminant level issued by Vermont in 2019. Furthermore, we also investigated the human exposure to PFASs in drinking water by estimating total daily intakes based on Exposure Factors Handbook of Chinese Population. This study revealed that East China and the Southwest regions posed a relatively higher risk to the Chinese population and some cities in the Yangtze River basin such as Zigong, Jiujiang, Lianyungang and a considerable share of other cities have exceeded the health-based guidelines issued by EU and US agencies. Conclusion Drinking water in many cities and regions in China is contaminated with PFASs at levels of concern. PFAS elimination of PFASs from drinking water in contaminated cities and affected regions in China is urgently needed. PFAS releases from industries and other sources need better control and reduction. Further monitoring in remote Chinese regions is needed to overcome the knowledge gaps for a more comprehensive understanding of population exposure. The current risk assessment of PFASs in China should be re-evaluated considering the most recent toxicological studies, to clarify if the guidelines need to be lowered as recently done in Europe and the United States. This is necessary to have the best national base for risk assessment and a science-based driver for countermeasures.

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Long-term investigation on the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant in the Veneto Region, Italy

Cited by 24 publications

References 31 publications

PFAS Degradation in Ultrapure and Groundwater Using Non-Thermal Plasma

PFAS Degradation in Ultrapure and Groundwater Using Non-Thermal Plasma

Thermal Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution

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