Division/Committee: [ENVR] Division of Environmental Chemistry

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals and have been widely used since their development in 1940s. These synthetic compounds are resistant to degradation due to the presence of carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds and are nicknamed as forever chemicals. PFAS have been also used heavily in military within aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) for fire training and emergency response purposes. Now, PFAS are widely used in our daily life and scores of sites are contaminated with these compounds. It is estimated that around 110 million Americans find PFAS contamination in their drinking water supplies. Exposure of PFAS including their short-chain cousins has been linked to several health-related issues such as cancer, elevated cholesterol, obesity etc. in humans. Recently, EPA released new health advisory limits on 6 PFAS compounds in drinking water with recommendation for PFOA as 0.004 ppt. Various traditional techniques have been attempted to degrade and remove PFAS from contaminated media, but, real success is still elusive. The incineration of PFAS with other wastes have potential to produce the active greenhouse gases with long-lasting effects on ozone layer. This symposium will discuss recent research efforts from government agencies, industries and academic institutions, their success, failure and their limitations for the degradation, destruction, isolation, removal and detection of PFAS. Moreover, research in the area of fluorine free PFAS alternatives will also be discussed.

Nancy Kelley-Loughnane

Appearances