Journal
WATER
Volume 14, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/w14060946
Keywords
PFAS removal; Phragmites australis; phytoremediation pilot plant; PFAS accumulation; green infrastructure
Categories
Funding
- LIFE Programme of the European Union [LIFE16 ENV/IT/000488-Project LIFE PHOENIX]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent and mobile pollutants that can be emitted from various sources. This study focuses on the use of a phytoremediation pilot plant in removing PFASs from contaminated water. The pilot plant successfully reduced up to 50% of the targeted PFAAs without dependence on their physico-chemical characteristics. The presence of PFAAs in reed grasses suggests their ability to accumulate these pollutants, with concentrations up to 13 ng g(-1) ww. This research highlights the potential efficiency of phytodepuration in PFAS removal and recommends further exploration of its application in constructed wetlands for wastewater remediation.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have multiple emission sources, from industrial to domestic, and their high persistence and mobility help them to spread in all the networks of watercourses. Diffuse pollution of these compounds can be potentially mitigated by the application of green infrastructures, which are a pillar of the EU Green Deal. In this context, a phytoremediation pilot plant was realised and supplied by a contaminated well-located in Lonigo (Veneto Region, Italy) where surface and groundwaters were significantly impacted by perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) discharges from a fluorochemical factory. The investigation involved the detection of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) inside the inlet and outlet waters of the phytoremediation pilot plant as well as in reed grasses grown into its main tank. The obtained results demonstrate that the pilot plant is able to reduce up to 50% of considered PFAAs in terms of mass flow without an evident dependence on physico-chemical characteristics of these contaminants. Moreover, PFAAs were found in the exposed reed grasses at concentrations up to 13 ng g(-1) ww. A positive correlation between PFAA concentration in plants and exposure time was also observed. In conclusion, this paper highlights the potential efficiency of phytodepuration in PFAS removal and recommends improving the knowledge about its application in constructed wetlands as a highly sustainable choice in wastewater remediation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available