Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) containing poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were developed to enable firefighters to quickly extinguish hydrocarbon-fuel fires at military bases, airports, oil refineries and as a result, have been used in emergency response situations as well as during firefighter training. Despite the growing concerns about human exposure to two AFFF-derived PFASs, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), there is a significant lack of information on exposure to other PFASs, particularly the polyfluorinated species. Further, little information is available as to how to mitigate exposure to these other PFASs if they are present in AFFF-impacted drinking water. This study compared the sorptive removal of PFASs using different types of carbonaceous sorbent materials such as granular activated carbon (GAC) for drinking water treatment in an actual AFFF-impacted drinking water. Due to limited volumes of available water, the latter objective was achieved primarily through batch kinetic and equilibrium studies.  In addition, the broad suite of PFASs was evaluated using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Through evaluation of the kinetic and equilibrium data, a simple approach for predicting the removal of a broader suite of AFFF-derived PFASs via GAC was evaluated. PFOS was the most sorptive PFAS measured in the AFFF-impacted drinking water, with all polyfluorinated PFASs exhibiting much weaker sorption to GAC than PFOS. However, the GAC affinity of many of the polyfluorinated PFASs was comparable to if not greater than PFOA. The kinetic profiles of sorptive removal of the polyfluorinated PFASs were similar to those of PFOS and PFOA, suggesting that the same kinetic limitations of GAC systems that apply to PFOS and PFOA removal would also apply. Collectively, these data suggest that for most GAC filters, breakthrough of PFOS would not be protective of breakthrough of other AFFF-derived PFASs. However, if breakthrough of PFOA is monitored and used as a trigger for media changeout, then GAC systems should be more protective of exposure to other AFFF-derived PFASs.<br/>

Sorption of  Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) relevant to Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)-impacted groundwater by biochars and activated carbon

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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