Cited by 89Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchLandfill Environmental Impact StudiesToxic Organic Pollutants Impact

From Waste Collection Vehicles to Landfills: Indication of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Transformation

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Liu, Yalan, Robey, Nicole M., Bowden, John A., Tolaymat, Thabet M., da Silva, Bianca F., Solo-Gabriele, Helena M., Townsend, Timothy G.·2021·Environmental Science & Technology Letters

Abstract

Municipal solid waste contain diverse and significant amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and these compounds may transform throughout the "landfilling" process from transport through landfill degradation. Fresh vehicle leachates, from commercial and residential waste collection vehicles at a transfer station, were measured for 51 PFAS. Results were compared to PFAS levels obtained from aged landfill leachate at the disposal facility. The landfill leachate was dominated by perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs, including perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs); 86% of the total PFAS, by median mass concentration), while the majority of PFAS present in commercial and residential waste vehicle leachate were PFAA-precursors (70% and 56% of the total PFAS, by median mass concentration, respectively), suggesting precursor transformation to PFAAs during the course of landfill disposal. In addition, several PFAS, which are not routinely monitored-perfluoropropane sulfonic acid (PFPrS), 8-chloro-perfluoro-1-octane sulfonic acid (8Cl-PFOS), chlorinated polyfluoroether sulfonic acids (6:2, 8:2 Cl-PFESAs), sodium dodecafluoro-3H-4,8-dioxanonanoate (NaDONA), and perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexanesulfonate (PFECHS)-were detected. Potential degradation pathways were proposed based on published studies: transformation of polyfluoroalkyl phosphate diester (diPAPs) and fluorotelomer sulfonic acids (FTS) to form PFCAs via formation of intermediate products such as fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs).

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  • Variations in PFAS species detected in waste-collection-vehicle leachate compared with landfill leachate suggest alternative biodegradation pathways in long-term anaerobic settings such as landfills.

    “variations in PFAS species detected in waste-collection-vehicle leachate compared to landfill leachate suggest alternative biodegradation pathways in long-term anaerobic settings such as landfills (72).”

    From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment (2022) · cites this paper as [72]

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Authors
Liu, Y., Robey, N. M., Bowden, J. A., Tolaymat, T. M., da Silva, B. F., Solo-Gabriele, H. M., & Townsend, T. G.
Affiliations
  • University of Florida (US)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (US)
  • Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology & Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
  • Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
Corresponding author
Townsend, Timothy G.
Venue
Environmental Science & Technology Letters
Published
2020-10-27
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
66-72
ISSN
2328-8930 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3096341062
Cited by
89
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 4
FWCI
3.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Environmental Science & Technology Letters (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (83962001-0, EPA-G2018-STAR-B1)
  • Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Landfill Environmental Impact Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Keywords
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS transformation, landfill leachate, waste collection vehicles, municipal solid waste, perfluoroalkyl acids, fluorotelomer carboxylic acids, degradation pathways, transfer stations

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