IMPACTS OF DEICERS ON THE TRANSPORT OF PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) IN GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants with known adverse effects on human and ecological health. Airports are recognized as substantial sources of PFAS, primarily through the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). This study investigates the potential impact of airplane deicer solution, which is commonly used in large quantities in airports, on the transport of PFAS through groundwater systems. A series of column experiments were conducted using soil collected from a firefighting test area (FTA) located in Dane County, Wisconsin. The columns were wet packed with prepared soils and groundwater (with and without type 4 deicer) was injected into the packed columns. The effluents from the columns were collected over time and the concentrations of selected PFAS in the effluent samples were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatograph (UHPLC, Shimadzu Nexera X2) coupled with an ultra-fast triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UFMS, Shimadzu LCMS-8060). Our results showed that 1) the kinetics of PFAS release from contaminated soil followed first order kinetics model adjusted with the quantities of adsorbed PFAS, and 2) airplane deicer at environmentally relevant concentrations could significantly influence the release of PFAS from contaminated soils collected from AFFF sites. Our findings provide valuable insights into the environmental fate of PFAS in airport settings and inform management strategies for mitigating PFAS contamination in groundwater.