Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in untreated and treated sludge/biosolids from 27 water resource recovery facilities across the United States and Canada
February 23, 2025 - Shubhashini Oza, Hui Li, Qingguo Huang, John W. Norton, Lloyd J. Winchell, Martha J. M. Wells, Thomas Nangle, Natalia Perez, Dan DeLaughter, Jan M. Hauser, Malcolm Taylor, Zonetta E. English, Mike Melnyk, Phuong Truong, Katherine Y. Bell
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being studied in all environmental matrices because of their ubiquitous presence and adverse human health impacts. This study conducted a surveillance of 27 water resource recovery facilities throughout the United States and Canada to screen the range of PFAS concentrations in pre-stabilized sludge and post-stabilized product. Among the 27 water resource recovery facilities, 82% use anaerobic digestion and the rest use chemical stabilization and/or incineration for sludge stabilization. Forty PFAS compounds were evaluated by US Environmental Protection Agency Method SW846/537.1, and four and nine compounds were reported in the pre-stabilized sludge and post-stabilized product, respectively. Concentrations of reported compounds in pre-stabilized sludge and post-stabilized product varied from 5 to 33 ng/g dry basis and 2 to 220 ng/g dry basis, respectively. 3-Perfluoropentylpropanoic acid (5:3 FTCA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were the most frequently observed compounds, and PFAS concentrations in the post-stabilized products were generally higher than the corresponding pre-stabilized sludge.
