Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID OK_2023_Mangalgiri

Fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in wastewater treatment facilities in Oklahoma

Institute: Oklahoma
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $5,000

Principal Investigators: Kiranmayi Mangalgiri

Project Summary: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of more than four thousand toxic chemicals that are resistant to degradation. The widespread use of PFAS in various household and commercial products has resulted in both direct and indirect discharge into the environment. Previous studies worldwide have investigated the occurrence and fate of PFAS in different environmental matrices. However, there is still limited data available regarding the presence of PFAS in sources such as surface water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Oklahoma. The specific goal of this work is to determine the occurrence and transformation of PFAS in two WWTPs. Owing to the high number of PFAS-using industries, this study is important to understand the elevated risk of PFAS to humans and animals in Oklahoma. Without this information, long term planning and mitigation of PFAS in water and the environment is unlikely.