Behaviour and fate of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking water treatment: a review.
This article reviews perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) characteristics, their occurrence in surface water, and their fate in drinking water treatment processes. PFASs have been detected globally in the aquatic environment including drinking water at trace concentrations and due, in part, to their persistence in human tissue some are being investigated for regulation. They are aliphatic compounds containing saturated carbon-fluorine bonds and are resistant to chemical, physical, and biological degradation. Functional groups, carbon chain length, and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity are some of the important structural properties of PFASs that affect their fate during drinking water treatment. Full-scale drinking water treatment plant occurrence data indicate that PFASs, if present in raw water, are not substantially removed by most drinking water treatment processes including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, biofiltration, oxidation (chlorination, ozonation, AOPs), UV irradiation, and low pressure membranes. Early observations suggest that activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange, and high pressure membrane filtration may be effective in controlling these contaminants. However, branched isomers and the increasingly used shorter chain PFAS replacement products may be problematic as it pertains to the accurate assessment of PFAS behaviour through drinking water treatment processes since only limited information is available for these PFASs.
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1. Electronic address: mf2rahma@uwaterloo.ca.
Mohammad Feisal
MF
Rahman
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1.
Sigrid
S
Peldszus
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1.
William B
WB
Anderson
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D060766:Drinking Water; D005466:Fluorocarbons
Activated carbon; Drinking water treatment; Ion exchange; Membrane filtration; PFASs; PFCs; PFOA/PFOS