PFAS mass balance in retail biosolids fertilizers and what can be done about it

Miller, Gillian; Brown, Stephen

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109875 Copy

Description

Title

PFAS mass balance in retail biosolids fertilizers and what can be done about it

Author(s)

• Miller, Gillian
• Brown, Stephen

Issue Date

2021-04-27

Keyword(s)

• per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
• PFAS

Abstract

Presented by: Gillian Miller – senior scientist at Ecology Center, gillian@ecocenter.org, and Stephen Brown – Sierra Club member Co-authors: Denise Trabbic-Pointer, Sonya Lunder, Jeff Gearhart Abstract: Contamination of the environment by PFAS compounds has been pervasive for decades. Many PFAS compounds are detected in wastewaters and biosolids, and increasing regulation of PFAS threatens municipal budgets as long as these contaminants are present. To ascertain the degree and types of PFAS contamination in biosolid products commonly applied to gardens and farms, 10 commercially available biosolid-based soil amendments or fertilizers were purchased and tested. Total fluorine was measured by Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC) and 49 PFAS species were measured by state-of-the-art LC/MS/MS both before and after oxidation. The oxidation technique, called a total organic precursor (TOP) assay, provides evidence of nontargeted PFAS species that may degrade in the environment to the targeted PFAS. The CIC results demonstrate that the vast majority of PFAS in biosolids are not detected by LC/MS/MS either before or after the TOP assay and may include fluoropolymer particles. The LC/MS/MS datasets are consistent with results published by other investigators. It can be demonstrated that improved control of industrial point sources piped to WWTP facilities can reduce the PFAS burden in biosolids. Biographies: Gillian Miller Gillian Zaharias Miller, PhD : Dr. Miller is the senior scientist for nonprofit environmental organization Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University and previously worked in academia and industry. Her team investigates hazardous chemicals in consumer products and environmental media and uses the results to drive direct change in policies and product formulations. Stephen Brown Stephen C Brown, PhD: I’ve been a Sierra Club member since 1974 and have an interest in citizen-based data acquisition now that many analytical tools are cheap and widely available commercially. I acquired a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from UCSF in 1984, and worked in drug discovery and development since 1985. Toxins are like drugs, the only difference being the level of regulation. I hope to reform TSCA to become more like REACH, and treat all synthetic chemicals like the drugs they are, or could be.

Series/Report Name or Number

2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC21)

Type of Resource

• text
• still image

Language

en

Permalink

• http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109875
• https://youtu.be/t3Nc_nLg9n8

Owning Collections