Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006AZ132B

Perfluorinated Chemicals in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants in Arizona

Institute: Arizona
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-03-01 End Date: 2007-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $11,995 Total Non-Federal Funds: $24,023

Principal Investigators: Reyes Sierra, Fiona Jordan

Project Summary: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and related perfluorinated organic compounds (PFCs) are emerging environmental pollutants. These compounds have come under increased scrutiny due to recent reports of their worldwide detection in biological matrices as well as concerns regarding their persistence and toxicity. In spite of the widespread occurrence of PFCs and their potential risks to human health and the environment, little is known about the fate and transport of these pollutants. Municipal wastewater treatment discharges are suspected to be responsible for environmental emissions of perfluorinated compounds. PFCs are expected to partition into sewage sludge (biosolids) due to their high bioaccumulation potential. There is presently no data on the occurrence of PFCs in wastewater treatment plants in Arizona, yet PFCs are extensively used in the growing semiconductor industry sector in the State and in a wide variety of other industrial, commercial and consumer applications. This study will develop novel methods (F-NMR, HPLC/MS/MS) to detect and quantify PFCs in municipal wastewater and in sewage sludge, and then apply these methods to conduct a preliminary evaluation of PFCs in selected municipal wastewater treatment plants in Arizona. Partitioning of PFCs into biosolids will also be investigated under well-defined laboratory conditions. The project is of particular significance for Arizona because biosolids are widely used as soil amendments throughout the State. Treated wastewaters containing PFCs could also be a source of environmental contamination with these persistent and toxic pollutants. Utilities and government agencies will be able to utilize information from this study to determine the need for implementing measures to prevent the spread of PFCs in the environment.