A critical review of the occurrence, fate and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfills

Jia Li; Beidou Xi; Ganghui Zhu; Ying Yuan; Weijiang Liu; Yi Gong; Wenbing Tan

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114980

A critical review of the occurrence, fate and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfills

Environ Res. 2023 Feb 1:218:114980. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114980. Epub 2022 Nov 29.

Authors

Jia Li¹, Beidou Xi², Ganghui Zhu³, Ying Yuan⁴, Weijiang Liu⁵, Yi Gong⁶, Wenbing Tan⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
² School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
³ Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China. Electronic address: yuanying19880214@126.com.
⁵ Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: liuweijiang@tcare-mee.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.

PMID: 36460077
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114980

Abstract

The aim of this critical review is i) to summarize the occurrence of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfills; ii) to outline the environmental fate and transport of PFASs in landfills; iii) to compare the treatment technologies of PFASs in landfill leachate and remediation methods of PFASs in surrounding groundwater; iv) to identify the research gaps and suggest future research directions. In recent years, PFASs have been detected in landfills around the world, among which Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) especially Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are mostly studied due to their long-term stability. Short-chain PFASs (<8 carbons) are more common than long-chain PFASs (≧8 carbons) in landfill leachate. PFASs in landfill leachate are eventually transported to the surrounding groundwater, surface water and soil. Some PFASs evaporate from landfills to the ambient air. To avoid the environmental and health risks of PFASs in landfills, new technologies and combined use of existing technologies have been implemented to treat PFASs in landfill leachate. Integrated remediation methods are applied to control the diffusion of PFASs in groundwater surrounding landfills. In future, the mechanisms of PFAAs precursors degradation, the correlation among PFASs in different environmental media around landfills, as well as the environmental behavior and toxic effect of combined pollutants together with PFASs in landfill leachate and surrounding groundwater should be studied.

Keywords: Contaminant fate; Landfill remediation; Leachate treatment; Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids*
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Fluorocarbons* / analysis
Groundwater*
Waste Disposal Facilities
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Fluorocarbons
Alkanesulfonic Acids