TY - JOUR
T1 - Are Geotextiles Silent Contributors of Ultrashort Chain PFASs to the Environment?
AU - Mikhael, Elissar
AU - Bouazza, Abdelmalek
AU - Gates, Will P.
AU - Gibbs, Daniel
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was funded by the Australian Research Council\u2019s Linkage Project scheme (LP190101178). Their support is gratefully acknowledged. The authors acknowledge the use of instruments and technical support provided by the School of Chemistry Analytical Facility, Monash University. Monash\u2019s Post-Graduate Scholarship supported the first author. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The anonymous reviewers made many constructive comments and valuable suggestions. These comments and efforts associated with the review are greatly appreciated by the authors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2024/5/11
Y1 - 2024/5/11
N2 - We investigated the presence of per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in woven and nonwoven polypropylene geotextiles and four nonwoven polyester geotextiles commonly used in modern geosynthetic composite lining systems for waste containment facilities such as landfills. Targeted analysis for 23 environmentally significant PFAS molecules and methods for examining “PFAS total” concentrations were utilized to assess their occurrence in geotextiles. This analysis showed that most geotextile specimens evaluated in the current investigation contained the ultrashort chain PFAS compound pentafluoropropionic acid (PFPrA). While the concentrations ranged from nondetectable to 10.84 μg/g, the average measured concentrations of PFPrA were higher in polypropylene than in polyester geotextiles. “PFAS total” parameters comprising total fluorine (TF) and total oxidizable precursors (TOPs) indicate that no significant precursor mass nor untargeted intermediates were present in geotextiles. Therefore, this study identified geotextiles as a possible source of ultrashort PFASs in engineered lined waste containment facilities, which may contribute to the overall PFAS total concentrations in leachates or liquors they are in contact with. The findings reported for the first time herein may lead to further implications on the fate and migration of PFASs in geosynthetic composite liners, as previously unidentified concentrations, particularly of ultrashort-chain PFASs, may impact the extent of PFAS migration through and attenuation by constituents of geosynthetic composite liner systems. Given the widespread use of geotextiles in various engineering activities, these findings may have other unknown impacts. The significance of these findings needs to be further elucidated by more extensive studies with larger geotextile sample sizes to allow broader, generalized conclusions to be drawn.
AB - We investigated the presence of per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in woven and nonwoven polypropylene geotextiles and four nonwoven polyester geotextiles commonly used in modern geosynthetic composite lining systems for waste containment facilities such as landfills. Targeted analysis for 23 environmentally significant PFAS molecules and methods for examining “PFAS total” concentrations were utilized to assess their occurrence in geotextiles. This analysis showed that most geotextile specimens evaluated in the current investigation contained the ultrashort chain PFAS compound pentafluoropropionic acid (PFPrA). While the concentrations ranged from nondetectable to 10.84 μg/g, the average measured concentrations of PFPrA were higher in polypropylene than in polyester geotextiles. “PFAS total” parameters comprising total fluorine (TF) and total oxidizable precursors (TOPs) indicate that no significant precursor mass nor untargeted intermediates were present in geotextiles. Therefore, this study identified geotextiles as a possible source of ultrashort PFASs in engineered lined waste containment facilities, which may contribute to the overall PFAS total concentrations in leachates or liquors they are in contact with. The findings reported for the first time herein may lead to further implications on the fate and migration of PFASs in geosynthetic composite liners, as previously unidentified concentrations, particularly of ultrashort-chain PFASs, may impact the extent of PFAS migration through and attenuation by constituents of geosynthetic composite liner systems. Given the widespread use of geotextiles in various engineering activities, these findings may have other unknown impacts. The significance of these findings needs to be further elucidated by more extensive studies with larger geotextile sample sizes to allow broader, generalized conclusions to be drawn.
KW - geosynthetics
KW - geotextiles
KW - pentafluoropropionic acid
KW - ultrashort-chain PFAS
KW - waste containment facilities, landfills
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85192847184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.2c08987
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.2c08987
M3 - Article
C2 - 38733414
AN - SCOPUS:85192847184
SN - 1520-5851
VL - 58
SP - 8867
EP - 8877
JO - Environmental Science and Technology
JF - Environmental Science and Technology
IS - 20
ER -