Occurrences and fates of per- and polyfluoralkyl substances in textile dyeing wastewater along full-scale treatment processes

Industrial wastewater is a substantial source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the environment. However, very limited information is available on the occurrences and fates of PFASs along industrial wastewater treatment processes, particularly for the textile dyeing industry where PFASs occur extensively. Herein, the occurrences and fates of 27 legacy and emerging PFASs were investigated along the processes of three full-scale textile dyeing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) based on UHPLC-MS/MS in combination with selfdeveloped solid extraction protocol featuring selective enrichment for ultrasensitive analysis. The total PFASs ranged at 630-4268 ng L-1 in influents, 436-755 ng L-1 in effluents, and 91.5-1182 & mu;g kg-1 in the resultant sludge. PFAS species distribution varied among WWTPs, with one WWTP dominated by legacy perfluorocarboxylic acids while the other two dominated by emerging PFASs. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was trivial in the effluents from all the three WWTPs, indicating its diminished use in textile industry. Various emerging PFASs were detected at different abundances, demonstrating their use as alternatives to legacy PFASs. Most conventional processes of the WWTPs were inefficient in removing PFASs, especially for the legacy PFASs. The microbial processes could remove the emerging PFASs to different extents, whereas commonly elevated the concentrations of legacy PFASs. Over 90% of most PFASs could be removed by reverse osmosis (RO) and was enriched into the RO concentrate accordingly. The total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay revealed that the total concentration of PFASs was increased by 2.3-4.1 times after oxidation, accompanied by formation of terminal perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and degradation of emerging alternatives to various extents. This study is believed to shed new light on the monitoring and management of PFASs in industries.

Automated summary

This study investigated the occurrences and fates of 27 legacy and emerging PFASs in textile dyeing wastewater treatment plants. It was found that most conventional processes were inefficient in removing PFASs, especially legacy PFASs. Microbial processes could remove emerging PFASs to some extent but commonly elevated legacy PFAS concentrations. Reverse osmosis (RO) could remove over 90% of PFASs and enrich them into the RO concentrate.