Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sewage sludge: challenges of biological and thermal treatment processes and potential threats to the environment from land disposal

IF 6 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Olga S. Arvaniti, Michail S. Fountoulakis, Georgia Gatidou, Olga-Ioanna Kalantzi, Stergios Vakalis, Athanasios S. Stasinakis
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Sewage treatment plants are considered as important pathways for the transfer of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the environment. In conventional wastewater treatment, some of these compounds accumulate in sewage sludge via sorption onto suspended solids posing a potential environmental threat during sludge disposal and reuse. This review paper summarizes data for the occurrence of 182 PFAS from different classes in sludge matrices. Most of these monitoring data originate from Europe, Asia and North America, while limited data are available from Africa and South America. The most commonly studied classes of PFAS are perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids, and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides, while few results are available for the occurrence of new generation PFAS such as GenX. The range of the observed concentrations varies between 0.01 ng/g d.w. for perfluorobutane sulfonic acid to some μg/g, depending on the compound, with the highest concentrations found for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (8.2 μg/g d.w.). Limited information exists for the fate and removal of these substances in full-scale anaerobic digesters while recent articles indicate that some PFAS can be biotransformed under strictly anaerobic conditions. The exact mechanism remains unclear; additional data are needed to identify transformation products, apply mass balances, and understand the role of specific microorganisms. As regards novel thermal processes, encouraging results were recently published for the destruction of specific PFAS in hydrothermal liquefaction and carbonization, ranging between 55 and 100%, depending on the compound and the experimental conditions applied. Future studies should expand the list of studied compounds and focus on the mechanisms of their removal. PFAS are transferred to agricultural lands during sewage sludge reuse and their concentrations in soil are related to the applied biosolids’ loading rates. The parameters that affect leaching and desorption of PFAS from sludge, their plant uptake and possible threats for the environment and human health from the use of sewage sludge as soil amendment should be examined in long-term studies. ZeroPM project aims to address some of the literature gaps regarding the behavior of PFAS during sludge treatment focusing to the modification of anaerobic digestion and to the use of hydrothermal carbonization.

污水污泥中的全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质:生物和热处理工艺面临的挑战以及土地处置对环境的潜在威胁
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来源期刊
Environmental Sciences Europe
Environmental Sciences Europe Environmental Science-Pollution
CiteScore
11.20
自引率
1.70%
发文量
110
审稿时长
13 weeks
期刊介绍: ESEU is an international journal, focusing primarily on Europe, with a broad scope covering all aspects of environmental sciences, including the main topic regulation. ESEU will discuss the entanglement between environmental sciences and regulation because, in recent years, there have been misunderstandings and even disagreement between stakeholders in these two areas. ESEU will help to improve the comprehension of issues between environmental sciences and regulation. ESEU will be an outlet from the German-speaking (DACH) countries to Europe and an inlet from Europe to the DACH countries regarding environmental sciences and regulation. Moreover, ESEU will facilitate the exchange of ideas and interaction between Europe and the DACH countries regarding environmental regulatory issues. Although Europe is at the center of ESEU, the journal will not exclude the rest of the world, because regulatory issues pertaining to environmental sciences can be fully seen only from a global perspective.
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