Reducing the impact of fluorinated compounds on the environment and human health

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of over 4600 manmade chemicals. They have a broad application range and are used in both industrial processes and consumer products. They are commonly found in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used to fight fires, clothing and textiles, disposal paper products, personal care products, herbicides and pesticides. They are ubiquitously detected when looked for, part of our daily life, and referred to as forever chemicals due to their high environmental persistence. This project, Reducing the impact of fluorinated compounds on the environment and human health carried out desk studies, laboratory experiments and field work in order to investigate the fate and behaviour of PFAS in the environment, specifically focusing on Norwegian case study sites. Lake Tyrifjorden, which is polluted by the manufacturing of paper products, Bodø air station, which is polluted by the use of AFFF and Svalbard, which is polluted by point and diffuse PFAS sources, were investigated. PFAS concentrations and distribution profiles were determined for sediment, water and biota samples applying both active and passive sampling methods. Indicative PFAS profiles from different sources were identified at each of the case study sites. A review of concentrations of PFAS in biota from Norwegian study sites was carried out and indicative fingerprints were identified for different PFAS sources. A novel passive sampling device was calibrated in the laboratory and then deployed at Lake Tyrifjorden as a means of pollutant source tracking. Soil amendment with strongly sorbing materials and soil washing were investigated as remediation methods in the laboratory and the field. In addition to the research partners, the project has worked closely with relevant national and international actors. Norwegian waste handlers, site owners and regulators have participated in workshops and one of the spin-offs from the project was a collaboration with the Norwegian Environment Agency to dive deeper into the contamination status of the Lake Tyrifjorden case study site. By involving internationally renowned experts, the second spin-off from the project was a Horizon 2020 research and innovation action project (ZeroPM: Zero pollution from persistent, mobile substances). The project was a successful collaboration between the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA, the Netherlands) the Colorado School of Mines (CSM, America) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

The main project outcome is increased scientific knowledge related to the behaviour of PFAS in the environment. The information gained about the case studies will support better risk assessment and targeted site clean-up methods. This will help Norwegian regulators and the owners of the contaminated sites. The improved analytical and monitoring methods developed can be used to improve practice when designing sampling and monitoring campaigns at PFAS contaminated sites. The project has led to the H2020 project Zero pollution of Persistent, Mobile substances, ZeroPM. The knowledge described above will have a broader impact on the PFAS research community, and project results have been highlighted by the Norwegian media. Regulation of PFAS is rapidly evolving and project results will feed in to ongoing debate related to guideline values. Socially, there is an increased awareness about PFAS and the results related to specific case studies can inform those affected by the PFAS pollution.

The overall aim of the project is to investigate how the level of pollution of "first generation" and "future generation" poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) affects the environment and human health. Desktop work, laboratory work, and field work will be carried out. A consortium from Norway, the Netherlands and the United States has been assembled to carry out the project which is organised in five work packages. Successful project impact relies on the involvement of users, regulators and industry whereas highest research impact relies on the involvement of international experts. WP1 will address this via the establishment of a user group and an expert group. WP2 will focus on the analysis of PFASs in soil, water and biota leading to optimized methods and a better understanding of the physicochemical properties governing fate and transport of the substance. Using case study sites for which a wealth of monitoring data exists, mass balances of PFASs in the environment for point source and diffuse source inputs will be constructed in WP3. In WP4 the effect of Norwegian specific conditions including i) freeze/thaw cycles, ii) variable infiltration rates and iii) variable organic matter (DOC) contents on PFASs mobilization and transport will be explored. WP5 will investigate the in vitro PFASs-like toxic potency of the complex mixtures present in samples from in the case studies. Effect-directed analysis will be used to discern the compounds leading to the greatest effect.