Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: Occurrence, fate, transport, and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfill leachate
EPA Grant Number: R839670Title: Occurrence, fate, transport, and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfill leachate
Investigators: Guelfo, Jennifer
Institution: Texas Tech University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: August 1, 2019 through July 31, 2022 (Extended to July 31, 2024)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 1, 2019 through July 31,2020
Project Amount: $500,000
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:
An estimated 61.1 million m3yr-1 of leachate is generated in the United States. Studies suggest that most leachates contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) that may pose a risk to human health and/or the environment following release of raw or treated leachate. This project has three primary objectives: 1) optimize strategies for analysis of total PFAS composition and concentrations in field-collected landfill leachate using a combination of analytical techniques; 2) assess sorption, desorption, and diffusion of a select set of PFASs in representative flexible membrane and clay liner materials and evaluate impacts of solution chemistry on these processes; and 3) evaluate the impacts of leachate conditions on the rate and efficacy of total PFAS degradation using ultrasound treatment and determine optimal reactor configuration and operational parameters based on landfill conditions and treatment goals.
Progress Summary:
In Year 1 of the project, the project team achieved the following:
• Validated and applied direct injection approaches for ESI- targeted analysis and suspect screening of PFASs in unimpacted (i.e. free of matrix effects) leachate samples
• Validated and applied sample cleanup protocols for ESI- targeted analysis and suspect screening of PFASs in leachate with more complicated matrix components
• Evaluated the fate of 200+ PFASs during application of the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay, which included suspect screening analysis to identify unoxidized PFASs and previously unidentified
TOP endpoints
• Characterized leachate using targeted analysis, suspect screening, and TOP techniques
• Initiated batch experiments to evaluate sorption of PFASs onto landfill geomembrane materials
Future Activities:
The following activities are planned for Year 2 of the project:
• Validate and apply sample cleanup protocols for ESI+ targeted analysis and suspect screening of leachate
• Acquire and characterize additional field leachate samples using targeted analysis, suspect screening.
TOP, and combustion ion chromatograph (CIC)-based approaches
• Develop a mass spectral library of PFASs identified in landfill leachate
• Complete batch sorption experiments using geomembrane and clay liner materials
• Initiate diffusion experiments in geomembrane and clay liner materials
• Initiate sonolysis experiments for treatment of PFASs in landfill leachate.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 13 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
PFAS, solid waste, leachate, landfills, sorptionProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.