US EPA

3860739 

Journal Article 

Physical and biological release of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) from municipal solid waste in anaerobic model landfill reactors 

Allred, BM; Lang, JR; Barlaz, MA; Field, JA 

2015 

Yes 

Environmental Science & Technology
ISSN: 0013-936X
EISSN: 1520-5851 

49 

13 

7648-7656 

English 

26055930 

10.1021/acs.est.5b01040 

WOS:000357840300020 

is supplemented by 11373470 : Supplemental material

A wide variety of consumer products that are treated with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and related formulations are disposed of in landfills. Landfill leachate has significant concentrations of PFASs and acts as secondary point sources to surface water. This study models how PFASs enter leachate using four laboratory-scale anaerobic bioreactors filled with municipal solid waste (MSW) and operated over 273 days. Duplicate reactors were monitored under live and abiotic conditions to evaluate influences attributable to biological activity. The biologically active reactors simulated the methanogenic conditions that develop in all landfills, producing ∼140 mL CH4/dry g refuse. The average total PFAS leaching measured in live reactors (16.7 nmol/kg dry refuse) was greater than the average for abiotic reactors (2.83 nmol/kg dry refuse), indicating biological processes were primarily responsible for leaching. The low-level leaching in the abiotic reactors was primarily due to PFCAs ≤C8 (2.48 nmol/kg dry refuse). Concentrations of known biodegradation intermediates, including methylperfluorobutane sulfonamide acetic acid and the n:2 and n:3 fluorotelomer carboxylates, increased steadily after the onset of methanogenesis, with the 5:3 fluorotelomer carboxylate becoming the single most concentrated PFAS observed in live reactors (9.53 nmol/kg dry refuse).