You are here:
Developing innovative treatment technologies for PFAS-containing wastes
Citation:
Berg, C., B. Crone, B. Gullett, M. Higuchi, M. Krause, P. Lemieux, T. Martin, E. Shields, E. Struble, E. Thoma, AND A. Whitehill. Developing innovative treatment technologies for PFAS-containing wastes. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 72(6):540-555, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2021.2000903
Impact/Purpose:
This paper presents a review of four innovative technologies for treating waste contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The paper was a product of the PFAS Innovative Treatment Team (PITT), a short-duration, focused effort by 11 multidisciplinary members of the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD). The PITT was commissioned by ORD to provide new perspectives on treatment and disposal of high priority PFAS-containing wastes. Based on the PITT's perception of their ability to move these technologies along the development curve, the team focused on mechanochemical treatment, electrochemical oxidation, gasification and pyrolysis, and supercritical water oxidation. This paper would be of general interest to the public and regulators as well as technologists interested in alternatives to more traditional waste treatment such as incineration.
Description:
The release of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment is a major concern for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). To complement its ongoing research efforts addressing PFAS contamination, the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) commissioned the PFAS Innovative Treatment Team (PITT) to provide new perspectives on treatment and disposal of high priority PFAS-containing wastes. During its six-month tenure, the team was charged with identifying and developing promising solutions to destroy PFAS. The PITT examined emerging technologies for PFAS waste treatment and selected four technologies for further investigation. These technologies included mechanochemical treatment, electrochemical oxidation, gasification and pyrolysis, and supercritical water oxidation. This paper highlights these four technologies and discusses their prospects and the development needed before potentially becoming available solutions to address PFAS-contaminated waste.Implications: This paper examines four novel, non-combustion technologies or applications for the treatment of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) wastes. These technologies are introduced to the reader along with their current state of development and areas for further development. This information will be useful for developers, policy makers, and facility managers that are facing increasing issues with disposal of PFAS wastes.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Developing innovative treatment technologies for PFAS-containing wastes
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34905459/