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Li J, Pinkard BR, Wang S, Novosselov IV. Review: Hydrothermal treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:135888. [PMID: 35931254 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PER: and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a concerning and unique class of environmentally persistent contaminants with biotoxic effects. Decades of PFAS discharge into water and soil resulted in PFAS bioaccumulation in plants, animals, and humans. PFAS are very stable, and their treatment has become a global environmental challenge. Significant efforts have been made to achieve efficient and complete PFAS mineralization using existing and emerging technologies. Hydrothermal treatments in subcritical and supercritical water have emerged as promising end-of-life PFAS destruction technologies, attracting the attention of scholars, industry, and key stakeholders. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art research on the behavior of PFAS, PFAS precursors, PFAS alternatives, and PFAS-containing waste in hydrothermal processes, including the destruction and defluorination efficiency, the proposed reaction mechanisms, and the environmental impact of these treatments. Scientific literature shows that >99% degradation and >60% defluorination of PFAS can be achieved through subcritical and supercritical water processing. The limitations of current research are evaluated, special considerations are given to the challenges of technology maturation and scale-up from laboratory studies to large-scale industrial application, and potential future technological developments are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianna Li
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering of MOE, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Brian R Pinkard
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Aquagga, Inc., Tacoma, WA 98421, USA
| | - Shuzhong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering of MOE, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Igor V Novosselov
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Desmond DS, Saltymakova D, Crabeck O, Schreckenbach G, Xidos JD, Barber DG, Isleifson D, Stern GA. Methods for Interpreting the Partitioning and Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in a Sea Ice Environment. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:772-786. [PMID: 35080411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c08357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Decreases in Arctic Sea ice extent and thickness have led to more open ice conditions, encouraging both shipping traffic and oil exploration within the northern Arctic. As a result, the increased potential for accidental releases of crude oil or fuel into the Arctic environment threatens the pristine marine environment, its ecosystem, and local inhabitants. Thus, there is a need to develop a better understanding of oil behavior in a sea ice environment on a microscopic level. Computational quantum chemistry was used to simulate the effects of evaporation, dissolution, and partitioning within sea ice. Vapor pressures, solubilities, octanol-water partition coefficients, and molecular volumes were calculated using quantum chemistry and thermodynamics for pure liquid solutes (oil constituents) of interest. These calculations incorporated experimentally measured temperatures and salinities taken throughout an oil-in-ice mesocosm experiment conducted at the University of Manitoba in 2017. Their potential for interpreting the relative movements of oil constituents was assessed. Our results suggest that the relative movement of oil constituents is influenced by differences in physical properties. Lighter molecules showed a greater tendency to be controlled by brine advection processes due to their greater solubility. Molecules which are more hydrophobic were found to concentrate in areas of lower salt concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Odile Crabeck
- Laboratoire de Glaciologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles 99131, Belgium.,Unité d'Océanographie Chimique, Freshwater and Oceanic sCience Unit reSearch (FOCUS), Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | | | - James D Xidos
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - David G Barber
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | - Gary A Stern
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
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3
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Townhill BL, Reppas-Chrysovitsinos E, Sühring R, Halsall CJ, Mengo E, Sanders T, Dähnke K, Crabeck O, Kaiser J, Birchenough SNR. Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services. AMBIO 2022; 51:471-483. [PMID: 34874530 PMCID: PMC8692579 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01657-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is undergoing unprecedented change. Observations and models demonstrate significant perturbations to the physical and biological systems. Arctic species and ecosystems, particularly in the marine environment, are subject to a wide range of pressures from human activities, including exposure to a complex mixture of pollutants, climate change and fishing activity. These pressures affect the ecosystem services that the Arctic provides. Current international policies are attempting to support sustainable exploitation of Arctic resources with a view to balancing human wellbeing and environmental protection. However, assessments of the potential combined impacts of human activities are limited by data, particularly related to pollutants, a limited understanding of physical and biological processes, and single policies that are limited to ecosystem-level actions. This manuscript considers how, when combined, a suite of existing tools can be used to assess the impacts of pollutants in combination with other anthropogenic pressures on Arctic ecosystems, and on the services that these ecosystems provide. Recommendations are made for the advancement of targeted Arctic research to inform environmental practices and regulatory decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony L. Townhill
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
| | | | - Roxana Sühring
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Crispin J. Halsall
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ UK
| | - Elena Mengo
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
| | - Tina Sanders
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute for Carbon Cycles, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Kirsten Dähnke
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute for Carbon Cycles, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Odile Crabeck
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Jan Kaiser
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Silvana N. R. Birchenough
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
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4
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Richardson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29205, United States
| | - Thomas A Ternes
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, Koblenz 56068, Germany
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Garnett J, Halsall C, Vader A, Joerss H, Ebinghaus R, Leeson A, Wynn PM. High Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Arctic Seawater Driven by Early Thawing Sea Ice. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:11049-11059. [PMID: 34308632 PMCID: PMC8383270 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances are synthetic chemicals that are widely present in the global environment including the Arctic. However, little is known about how these chemicals (particularly perfluoroalkyl acids, PFAA) enter the Arctic marine system and cycle between seawater and sea ice compartments. To evaluate this, we analyzed sea ice, snow, melt ponds, and near-surface seawater at two ice-covered stations located north of the Barents Sea (81 °N) with the aim of investigating PFAA dynamics in the late-season ice pack. Sea ice showed high concentrations of PFAA particularly at the surface with snow-ice (the uppermost sea ice layer strongly influenced by snow) comprising 26-62% of the total PFAA burden. Low salinities (<2.5 ppt) and low δ18OH20 values (<1‰ in snow and upper ice layers) in sea ice revealed the strong influence of meteoric water on sea ice, thus indicating a significant atmospheric source of PFAA with subsequent transfer down the sea ice column in meltwater. Importantly, the under-ice seawater (0.5 m depth) displayed some of the highest concentrations notably for the long-chain PFAA (e.g., PFOA 928 ± 617 pg L-1), which were ≈3-fold higher than those of deeper water (5 m depth) and ≈2-fold higher than those recently measured in surface waters of the North Sea infuenced by industrial inputs of PFAAs. The evidence provided here suggests that meltwater arising early in the melt season from snow and other surface ice floe components drives the higher PFAA concentrations observed in under-ice seawater, which could in turn influence the timing and extent of PFAA exposure for organisms at the base of the marine food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Garnett
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Crispin Halsall
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Anna Vader
- Department
of Arctic Biology, The University Centre
in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen N-9170, Norway
| | - Hanna Joerss
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße
1, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Ralf Ebinghaus
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße
1, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Amber Leeson
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Peter M. Wynn
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
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