Toward Long-term Emissions Forecasts for PFASs and PCNs from Landfills

Abstract

In recent years, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) such as PFOA and PFOS, and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) have been added to the list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Long-term emissions forecasts from landfills of these pollutants would be a significant step toward environmental preservation. We conducted a literature survey staying mindful of carbon chain length and the number of chlorines in terms of the actual status of emissions and the adsorption capacity which greatly affects the mobility of POPs. Regarding PFASs, we also investigated the biological degradation pathway from fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) to gather knowledge on the possibility of production in landfills. It suggests that PCNs with high chlorines and long-chain PFASs may accumulate in a landfill. On the other hand, PCNs with low chlorines and short-chain PFASs may be discharged to landfill leachate at a relatively early stage. Since it is likely that perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with eight or fewer carbons are produced under anaerobic conditions like that of landfills, comprehensive research/survey will be required, including not only PFOS and PFOA but also precursors.