The Occurrence, Behavior, Fate, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 1482

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
Interests: contaminant transport within the soil-groundwater system; novel techniques for contaminant removal and remediation; effects of global climate change on groundwater resources

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
Interests: environmental applications of advanced materials; occurrence, fate and treatment of emerging and recalcitrant pollutants; advanced technologies for water treatment and groundwater remediation; environmental chemistry

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2100 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA
Interests: catalysis using porous materials; synthesis of porous materials; water remediation using porous materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

PFAS represent >4000 synthetic chemicals that usually consist of a hydrophobic and lipophilic fluorinated carbon chain and various types of hydrophilic end/head functional groups such as alcohol, carboxylate, sulfonamide, sulfonate, and phosphonates. Thanks to their unique properties as well as their high chemical and thermal stability, since the 1940s, PFAS have been manufactured in large quantities and widely used in a range of consumer, commercial, and industrial applications. In particular, PFAS are the active ingredients in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which, when mixed with water and discharged, can form an aqueous film that cuts off oxygen from fires. The carbon–fluorine bond in PFAS has a high dissociation energy and many PFAS are recalcitrant to both biotic and abiotic degradation. As a result of their widespread use, recalcitrant nature, and relatively high aqueous solubilities, PFAS are ubiquitous within the soil, groundwater, surface water, and biota. Human exposure to PFAS has been linked to health issues such as cancer, elevated cholesterol, obesity, immune suppression, and endocrine disruption. On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS. This Special Issue seeks research papers, including review articles, that elucidate (1) the occurrence, behavior, fate, and remediation of PFAS within the natural environment (e.g., soil and surface and groundwater); (2) treatment techniques for removing PFAS from both drinking water and wastewater; (3) human and ecological exposure to PFAS, ranging from molecular mechanisms of PFAS toxicity to epidemiological studies; and (4) the social and economic aspects of PFAS pollution, regulation, and remediation.

Dr. Shangping Xu
Dr. Yin Wang
Dr. Joseph E. Mondloch
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
  • aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)
  • contaminant transport
  • groundwater pollution
  • surface water pollution
  • drinking water pollution
  • water treatment
  • human and ecological exposure.

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2477 KiB  
Article
A Framework for Developing Tools to Predict PFAS Physical–Chemical Properties and Mass-Partitioning Parameters
by Mark L. Brusseau
Environments 2024, 11(8), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11080164 - 2 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1122
Abstract
A framework for developing predictive models for PFAS physical–chemical properties and mass-partitioning parameters is presented. The framework is based on the objective of developing tools that are of sufficient simplicity to be used rapidly and routinely for initial site investigations and risk assessments. [...] Read more.
A framework for developing predictive models for PFAS physical–chemical properties and mass-partitioning parameters is presented. The framework is based on the objective of developing tools that are of sufficient simplicity to be used rapidly and routinely for initial site investigations and risk assessments. This is accomplished by the use of bespoke PFAS-specific QSPR models. The development of these models entails aggregation and curation of measured data sets for a target property or parameter, supplemented by estimates produced with quantum–chemical ab initio predictions. The application of bespoke QSPR models for PFAS is illustrated with several examples, including partitioning to different interfaces, uptake by several fish species, and partitioning to four different biological materials. Reasonable correlations to molar volume were observed for all systems. One notable observation is that the slopes of all of the regression functions are similar. This suggests that the partitioning processes in all of these systems are to some degree mediated by the same mechanism, namely hydrophobic interaction. Special factors and elements requiring consideration in the development of predictive models are discussed, including differences in bulk-phase versus interface partitioning processes. Full article
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