Grantee Research Project Results
Analysis of NYS Landfills as Sources of PFAS Groundwater Contamination
EPA Grant Number: R839610Title: Analysis of NYS Landfills as Sources of PFAS Groundwater Contamination
Investigators: Vooris, Christine , Hsu, Wan-Hsiang , Spink, Davie
Current Investigators: Vooris, Christine , Hsu, Wan-Hsiang , Lang, Daniel , Malone, Kevin , Ginsberg, Gary
Institution: Health Research, Inc. / NYS Dept. of Health
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2022 (Extended to February 29, 2024)
Project Amount: $900,000
RFA: Practical Methods to Analyze and Treat Emerging Contaminants (PFAS) in Solid Waste, Landfills, Wastewater/Leachates, Soils, and Groundwater to Protect Human Health and the Environment (2018) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Drinking Water , Water Quality , Human Health , Water , PFAS Treatment
Objective:
The overarching goal of this proposal is to augment activities being completed under various programs in New York State (NYS) to understand the following: What types and concentrations of PFAS are likely to be found in and around landfills? What are the key landfill attributes that contribute to release of PFAS? Can PFAS profiles be used to characterize disposed wastes at landfills (municipal vs. industrial; active vs. inactive) and types of PFAS sources in the environment? What is the importance of this pathway (landfills to groundwater) relative to other pathways in terms of environmental contamination and human exposure?
Approach:
The NYS Department of Health is in a unique position to characterize landfill attributes that lead to the release of PFAS to the environment, potentially resulting in human exposure. PFAS data have already been collected at 62 inactive landfills and 19 active landfills, with sampling of many more landfills planned. This sampling program together with enhancements proposed in this application (e.g., records reviews, development of laboratory methods, environmental sampling for 35 PFAS) will provide a robust dataset for approximately 150 landfills from which to create a comprehensive relational database to support multivariate statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms (e.g. multi-analyte principle component analysis [PCA] and hierarchical clustering). Statistical analyses to identify PFAS profiles in varying environmental media will generate information about relationships among variables, such as types of PFAS sources and landfill and hydrogeological characteristics.
Expected Results:
This project will characterize landfill attributes that are predictive of PFAS release and impact to groundwater, determine likely PFAS degradation patterns occurring within inactive landfills, and identify potential sources of PFAS found in the landfill environment. Innovative laboratory analyses of a larger suite of PFAS analytes will contribute to building a knowledge base regarding PFAS sources, occurrence in the environment, degradation, mobility, fate and transport, thereby supporting appropriate source investigation and remediation and exposure reduction strategies that are generalizable beyond NYS.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 3 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 2 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
chemical transport, fluorotelomers, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, perfluorinated chemicals, PFCs, perfluorochemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOAProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.