Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances fate and transport at a wastewater treatment plant with a collocated sewage sludge incinerator

This study aims to understand the fate and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and inorganic fluoride (IF) at an undisclosed municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operating a sewage sludge incinerator (SSI). A robust statistical analysis characterized concentrations and mas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Science of the total environment 2023-05, Vol.874, p.162357-162357, Article 162357
Main Authors: Seay, Brannon A., Dasu, Kavitha, MacGregor, Ian C., Austin, Matthew P., Krile, Robert T., Frank, Aaron J., Fenton, George A., Heiss, Derik R., Williamson, Rhett J., Buehler, Stephanie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Fluorides
Fluorocarbons - analysis
Inorganic fluoride
PFAS
Raw influent
Sewage
SSI
Treated water
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Purification
WWTP
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Summary:This study aims to understand the fate and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and inorganic fluoride (IF) at an undisclosed municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operating a sewage sludge incinerator (SSI). A robust statistical analysis characterized concentrations and mass flows at all WWTP and SSI primary influents/effluents, including thermal-treatment derived airborne emissions. WWTP-level net mass flows (NMFs) of total PFAS were not statistically different from zero. SSI-level NMFs indicate that PFAS, and specifically perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), are being broken down. The NMF of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs; −274 ± 34 mg/day) was statistically significant. The observed breakdown primarily occurred in the sewage sludge. However, the total PFAS destruction and removal efficiency of 51 % indicates the SSI may inadequately remove PFAS. The statistically significant IF source (NMF = 16 ± 4.2 kg/day) compared to the sink of PFAS as fluoride (NMF = −0.00036 kg/day) suggests that other fluorine-containing substances are breaking down in the SSI. WWTP PFAS mass discharges were primarily to the aquatic environment (>99 %), with
ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162357