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Environments
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The Occurrence, Behavior, Fate, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of per-...
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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 3730

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shangping Xu

E-Mail Website
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
Dr. Yin Wang

E-Mail Website
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
Dr. Joseph E. Mondloch

E-Mail Website
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

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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 (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1362 KiB  
Article
The Distribution and Seasonality of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Vertical Water Column of a Stratified Eutrophic Freshwater Lake
by Patrick R. Gorski
Environments 2025, 12(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12020048 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 732
Abstract
The vertical distribution and potential variability of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water column of lacustrine systems is important to know for sampling and monitoring purposes, but could also relate to details of their fate, transport, and distribution. In this study, [...] Read more.
The vertical distribution and potential variability of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water column of lacustrine systems is important to know for sampling and monitoring purposes, but could also relate to details of their fate, transport, and distribution. In this study, the water column of a eutrophic freshwater lake (Lake Monona, Madison, WI, USA) was sampled vertically for PFAS during summer stratification at several depths (surface microlayer to 1 m from the bottom) and then monitored at four dates and three depths the following year to assess seasonality. PFAS concentration did not exhibit vertical stratification or large variability in the water column. However, seasonal variation in PFAS concentration was detected, as well as an increase in PFAS concentration related to drought conditions. This study suggests that a surface water grab sample may be a sufficient representative of the water column for the basic monitoring of PFAS. But a single sample during the year may not provide a complete understanding of the lake, and multiple samples should be taken to capture and understand important seasonal events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Occurrence, Behavior, Fate, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)
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15 pages, 3699 KiB  
Article
Contrasting Perfluorooctanoic Acid Removal by Calcite Before and After Heat Treatment
by Zhaohui Li, Yating Yang, Yaqi Wen, Yuhan Li, Jeremy Moczulewski, Po-Hsiang Chang, Stacie E. Albert and Lori Allen
Environments 2025, 12(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010029 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 715
Abstract
Calcites before and after calcination at 1000 °C were evaluated for their potential removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water. After heat treatment, the PFOA sorption capacity increased by 25%, from 3.2 to 3.9 mg g−1, and the affinity increased by [...] Read more.
Calcites before and after calcination at 1000 °C were evaluated for their potential removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water. After heat treatment, the PFOA sorption capacity increased by 25%, from 3.2 to 3.9 mg g−1, and the affinity increased by 2.7 times, from 0.03 to 0.08 L mg−1. Kinetically, the initial rate, rate constant, and equilibrium sorption were 8.7 mg g−1 h−1, 2.6 g mg−1 h−1, and 1.8 mg g−1 for heat treated calcite, in comparison to 6.4 mg g−1 h−1, 3.1 g mg−1 h−1, and 1.4 mg g−1 for calcite without heat treatment. X-ray diffraction analyses showed phase changing from calcite to calcium oxide after calcination. However, after contact with PFOA solutions for 24 h, the major phase changed back to calcite with a minute amount of Ca(OH)2. These results suggest that using raw cement materials derived from heat treatment of limestone may be a good option for the removal of PFOA from water. Thus, further studies are needed to confirm this claim. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Occurrence, Behavior, Fate, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)
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16 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 1757
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Occurrence, Behavior, Fate, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)
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