Fate and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the vadose zone

Hamidreza Sharifan; Majid Bagheri; Dan Wang; Joel G Burken; Christopher P Higgins; Yanna Liang; Jinxia Liu; Charles E Schaefer; Jens Blotevogel

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145427

Fate and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the vadose zone

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jun 1:771:145427. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145427. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Authors

Hamidreza Sharifan¹, Majid Bagheri², Dan Wang³, Joel G Burken², Christopher P Higgins⁴, Yanna Liang⁵, Jinxia Liu³, Charles E Schaefer⁶, Jens Blotevogel⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
² Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C3, Canada.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
⁶ CDM Smith, 110 Fieldcrest Avenue, #8, 6th Floor, Edison, NJ 08837, USA.
⁷ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: jens.blotevogel@colostate.edu.

PMID: 33736164
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145427

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a heterogeneous group of persistent organic pollutants that have been detected in various environmental compartments around the globe. Emerging research has revealed the preferential accumulation of PFASs in shallow soil horizons, particularly at sites impacted by firefighting activities, agricultural applications, and atmospheric deposition. Once in the vadose zone, PFASs can sorb to soil, accumulate at interfaces, become volatilized, be taken up in biota, or leach to the underlying aquifer. At the same time, polyfluorinated precursor species may transform into highly recalcitrant perfluoroalkyl acids, changing their chemical identity and thus transport behavior along the way. In this review, we critically discuss the current state of the knowledge and aim to interconnect the complex processes that control the fate and transport of PFASs in the vadose zone. Furthermore, we identify key challenges and future research needs. Consequently, this review may serve as an interdisciplinary guide for the risk assessment and management of PFAS-contaminated sites.

Keywords: Air-water interface; Biodegradation; Microbial community impact; PFAS sources; Plant uptake; Sorption.

Publication types

Review