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Factors Affecting Solubility

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Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

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Perfluorinated alkyl substances: Sewage treatment and implications for receiving waters.

S D W Comber¹, M J Gardner², B Ellor³

¹Plymouth University, B525 Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.

The Science of the Total Environment

|August 20, 2021

Summary

Wastewater treatment works effluents frequently exceed environmental quality standards for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Elevated upstream concentrations indicate widespread perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination, challenging individual treatment plant controls.

Keywords:

PFAS PFOA PFOS Removal Rivers Wastewater treatment works

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Area of Science:

Environmental Chemistry
Water Quality Assessment
Environmental Engineering

Background:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including PFOS and PFOA, are persistent organic pollutants found globally.
Wastewater treatment works (WwTW) are potential sources of PFAS entering aquatic environments.
Regulatory frameworks, such as the Water Framework Directive, set environmental quality standards (EQS) for specific contaminants like PFOS.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the effectiveness of WwTW in removing PFOS and PFOA.
To assess compliance with PFOS EQS in receiving waters downstream of WwTW discharges.
To investigate the sources and implications of upstream PFAS concentrations.

Main Methods:

Analysis of effluent, upstream, and downstream water samples from over 600 WwTW.
Comparison of measured PFOS and PFOA concentrations against established EQS.
Evaluation of the impact of WwTW discharges on receiving water quality.

Main Results:

PFOS concentrations in effluents exceeded the annual average EQS by 1.1- to 40-fold.
PFOA concentrations in effluents exceeded EQS by 2- to 22-fold.
Between 25% and 33% of WwTW reduced fluorocarbon concentrations downstream due to upstream inputs.

Conclusions:

PFAS contamination in aquatic environments is ubiquitous, originating from diffuse sources.
Current WwTW are often ineffective at meeting stringent PFOS EQS.
A biota-derived quality standard may offer a more realistic environmental risk assessment than freshwater EQS for PFOS.