PFAS Reduction: Replacing Contaminated Equipment

PFAS has become a bit of a buzzword, but it does represent a very real concern in today’s municipal wastewater streams. The term refers to both per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. There are over 10,000 synthetic chemicals that fall within the PFAS umbrella, most of which share similar properties that can make them hazardous to human health.

While many PFAS are used to make cookware nonstick or create life-saving fire suppression foams, they’re also difficult to destroy and easily end up in wastewater streams and natural environments. Even nature can’t break them down, leading to concentrations that pose risks to both human and environmental health. That’s why they’re often called ‘forever chemicals.’

These chemicals enter municipal wastewater streams from both everyday use of consumer goods containing them and from production facilities that rely on them for industrial purposes. With growing concern from the Environmental Protection Agency and as state-level water quality requirements become stricter, wastewater treatment plants across the country are seeking solutions. For many, that may mean replacing PFAS-contaminated equipment.

Health Effects of PFAS

The exact risks PFAS poses to human health are still being studied. However, limited research has already revealed concerns regarding:

• Increased risks of many types of cancer.
• Changes to reproductive systems and hormone levels.
• Potential developmental delays in babies.
• Higher risk of obesity and elevated cholesterol levels.
• Reduction of the immune system response.

There are many potential effects that are harder to prove due to the varying levels of exposure across human populations. In general, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving to reduce allowable PFAS levels in drinking water, with individual states and counties setting even more stringent limits to protect their residents. There are no current national regulations under enforcement for PFAS in drinking or wastewater systems, but the EPA now enforces limits of 4.0 parts per trillion for two of the most hazardous PFAS: PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid).

How PFAS Contaminates Wastewater Equipment

Households may flush makeup wipes, paper towels used for cleaning, and sometimes even disposable plastic cookware, and the chemical compounds found in those disposed items wind up in wastewater treatment plants, increasing the risk of contamination in downstream equipment.

For example, PFAS compounds have been found in gaskets, protective coatings, and lubricants used in treatment plants, and addressing PFAS in the raw waste stream won’t address contamination occurring during treatment stages.

When treated wastewater is released, it still contains PFAS, which can reach groundwater and surface water supplies used for drinking water, spreading contamination further. Many municipal wastewater treatment programs also dry and package biosludge for reuse as fertilizer on crop fields and tree farms. When PFAS are introduced during screening and separation, this product stream becomes less valuable due to growing concerns about chemical buildup in soil.

The Challenge for Facilities

PFAS aren’t just another family of chemicals to target with UV exposure, aeration, or membrane filtration. They’re highly water-soluble, allowing the compounds to bypass almost all physical barriers that would remove particulates and dissolved solids. Sedimentation and filtration remove some of them, but leave others even more concentrated in the waste stream. In fact, standard biological treatments used to remove bacterial and other chemical contaminants often worsen PFAS levels rather than improve them.

That doesn’t mean that it’s time to give up on managing PFAS contamination in wastewater treatment. Some treatments work, even if they’re limited and require careful application. Currently accepted treatment processes for PFAS issues include granular-activated carbon, anion-exchange resins, and nanofiltration. Reverse osmosis procedures can reduce PFAS levels, but they won’t work for every compound under this umbrella.

All of these processes require extra time to treat the wastewater stream and can be considerably expensive to implement. They also increase the costs your facility incurs for one-use treatment materials, such as carbon or resins, as well as the labor required to change them out. But when combined with efforts to remove PFAS sources from treatment equipment, they offer the best opportunity to meet any PFAS standards for wastewater and drinking water that the EPA may apply in the future.

The Three-Part Solution

There’s a three-part approach to removing PFAS from the wastewater system, which means fewer will end up in agricultural fields, natural bodies of water, and the drinking water supply. Missing out on any of the three tactics is likely to result in high PFAS levels, which could lead to fines and limitations on water releases as state and federal regulations continue to evolve.

1. Finding the Source

PFAS enter water systems from a number of sources, including:

• Gaskets, lubricants, and coatings used in and on the wastewater processing equipment.
• Similar elements of potable water treatment equipment.
• Firefighting foams used for controlling high-intensity fires at airports and military bases.
• Household products like nonstick cookware, some shampoos, and cosmetic products.
• Waterproof clothing and grease-resistant food packaging.
• Manufacturing and industrial waste discharges.
• Plants and fish that were raised in contaminated environments before entering the waste stream.

Many of these sources are cyclical, leading to PFAS concentrations in both treatment systems and natural environments. By addressing as many sources of PFAS as possible and excluding them from entering the wastewater stream, plants can produce a cleaner release stream and reduce the total amount of compounds potentially re-entering the drinking water supply.

2. Upgrading Contaminated Equipment

Addressing PFAS contamination originating in the wastewater treatment system means replacing those parts that once relied on PFAS compounds for flexibility, durability, corrosion resistance, or nonstick properties, and switching to PFAS-free gaskets. If your wastewater equipment contains PFAS coatings, you’ll need to upgrade your equipment.

Due to the ‘forever’ nature of these chemicals, wastewater equipment with PFAS coatings or equipment that has been lubricated with lubricants containing PFAS compounds likely can’t be ‘cleaned’ easily. Starting with new equipment that’s free of PFAS from the outset will end the contamination cycle and accelerate the adoption of stricter water quality standards.

3. Ongoing Monitoring

Don’t count on your advanced treatment upgrades and new equipment to end the PFAS problem once and for all. These compounds can re-enter the system at any time due to unexpected contamination from household, industrial, or natural sources. Only ongoing monitoring will alert you to sudden spikes so you can find the source and resolve the problem.

Find the Right Replacement at JWC Environmental

Upgrading your wastewater equipment doesn’t have to be a challenge. JWC Environmental manufactures a wide array of municipal wastewater screening equipment and grinders, and we can help you find the best solution for your plant.

We have representatives across the United States who are familiar with your region’s issues, and ongoing nationwide challenges, including PFAS regulations. If you need help, contact our experts today.