Theme: 07. Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)

Topic Area: 7c. Ex Situ PFAS Destruction Technologies

Formatted Title:

The Global Implications of Destroying PFAS: Looking beyond Feasibility to Identify Potential Concerns Posed by Treatment

Background/Objectives:

Since the middle of the 20^th century, thousands of pounds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been released into the environment every year. Through applications of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), stack emissions from an array of industries, disposal of household products at landfills, and numerous other mechanisms, PFAS have entered the natural and engineered systems of our world. The flow of products, technology, and services in the globalized economy has given rise to a near-ubiquitous distribution of PFAS, extending to some of the farthest reaches of the planet.

Due to the stability of PFAS compounds, the majority of the released mass continues to circulate around the globe, posing an unprecedented environmental challenge of assessment and destruction. To break the “PFAS cycle,” the PFAS must be captured and destructively treated. Untold research investment has been directed toward advancing numerous potentially viable PFAS destruction technologies. However, in light of the single-digit parts-per-trillion (ppt) health-based regulatory criteria proposed at the federal level for some PFAS compounds combined with the anticipated high energy demand of those technologies, understanding the potential global implications of PFAS treatment through the destructive endpoint becomes central to contextualizing the societal benefit.

Approach/Activities:

This study relies on publicly available information (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, industry white papers, reputable journalism outlets, etc.) in addition to information made available through technology developers/providers to estimate the relative costs and unintended consequences of global PFAS destruction. A hypothetical treatment train based on separation, concentration, and destruction is utilized to model the requisite inputs and associated costs for PFAS destruction based on underlying assumptions regarding the quantities, concentrations, and impacted media requiring treatment for specific PFAS.

Results/Lessons Learned:

This study attempts to quantify the implications of destroying PFAS at the global scale, including resource investments, energy requirements, and greenhouse gas emissions. The authors believe this information is valuable in terms of contextualizing the societal cost/benefit of PFAS destruction at the global scale and may inform a more holistic regulatory approach.

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Tamara Sorell