Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2020ND082B

Effectively and Practically Remove Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Landfill Leachate and Groundwater

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2020 Start Date: 2020-02-29 End Date: 2021-02-27
Total Federal Funds: $6,200 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,400

Principal Investigators: Feng

Project Summary: Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of organic contaminants that have been detected nationally in the aquatic environment. Two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), have been observed in >95% of the blood samples collected during multiple U.S. national surveys at health-relevant concentrations. Contaminated drinking water is a major source exposure to PFAS for the general public. The U.S. EPA has recently set a drinking water advisory on the combined level of PFOA and PFOS at 0.070 μg/L, making removal of PFAS from drinking-water sources a priority issue. The goal of this project is to develop an innovative treatment system that can effectively and practically remove PFAS from landfill leachate and groundwater. The results of this project have important implications for technological improvements in water purification. Water treatment plants, the water industry, water resources personnel, and the broader education and research communities who are concerned about PFAS contamination would benefit from the results of this proposal.