Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PROMISCES (Preventing Recalcitrant Organic Mobile Industrial chemicalS for Circular Economy in the Soil-sediment-water system)
Période du rapport: 2021-11-01 au 2023-04-30
PROMISCES focuses on understanding the origins, pathways and impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and industrial persistent, mobile, and potentially toxic pollutants (iPM(T)s)1 . PFAS, commonly referred to as "forever chemicals", and iPM(T)s pose risks to both human health and the circular economy (CE) resources, such as clean soil and drinking water.
The project aims to support the Zero Pollution Action Plan and facilitates the transition towards a circular economy by developing innovative technologies for monitoring, prevention, and mitigation of chemical pollution in various environmental compartments.
The PROMISCES activities considers CE routes including (i) semi-closed water cycles for drinking water supply at urban and catchment scale; (ii) wastewater reuse for irrigation in agriculture; (iii) nutrient recovery from sewage sludge; (iv) material recovery from dredged sediments and (v) groundwater and land remediations for safe reuse. These activities are centred around seven case studies, including locations in Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, France, Germany and the Danube river basin between Vienna and Budapest.
The project aims to support the Zero Pollution Action Plan and facilitates the transition towards a circular economy by developing innovative technologies for monitoring, prevention, and mitigation of chemical pollution in various environmental compartments.
The PROMISCES activities considers CE routes including (i) semi-closed water cycles for drinking water supply at urban and catchment scale; (ii) wastewater reuse for irrigation in agriculture; (iii) nutrient recovery from sewage sludge; (iv) material recovery from dredged sediments and (v) groundwater and land remediations for safe reuse. These activities are centred around seven case studies, including locations in Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, France, Germany and the Danube river basin between Vienna and Budapest.
PROMISCES develops, tests and demonstrates new technologies and innovations to prevent, monitor and remediate PFAS and iPM(T)s within the soil-sediment-water system under real-life conditions in the field.
Ten targeted methods for a variety of matrices were developed, and a final set of 57 PFAS can be analyzed. These matrices include surface water, groundwater and drinking water, methods for PFAS and their precursors and transformation products in landfill leachate, sewage sludge, membrane filtration concentrates, stack emissions, plants, sediments and soils.
Existing in silico models that predict properties (e,g, toxicity, solubility) from the structure of the compound (i.e. QSPR models) for PFAS compounds were identified. A list of selected bioassays and 15 different endpoints associated with PFAS exposure was drawn up. To predict physico-chemical properties of PFAS (solubility, vapour pressure, Koa, Kow, Kaw, kH and Koc), existing models were improved and new ones were developed. These values will be used in the fate and transport modelling. Regarding the aquatic toxicity properties of PFAS, artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches were used to develop a model suitable for predicting the aquatic toxicity of organic chemicals, such as PFAS congeners.
Initial work on characterizing the fate and transport of PFAS was carried out as part of the associated case studies. The first models were developed and tested to simulate PFAS transport in porous media and to perform risk-based exposure assessment of PFAS and iPM(T)s. Monitoring of PFAS and iPM(T)s in the various case studies has started.
Innovative technologies for the removal of PFAS and iPM(T)s were developed and demonstration phases highlighted their relevance at lab-scale as a first step.
A chemical treatment process (in situ chemical reduction) for the degradation of PFAS has been designed and tested. A process for flushing PFAS in high concentrations out of soils using non-Newtonian liquids (gels and foams) was developed. Several experiments have been carried out on the biological treatment of PFAS using fungal enzymes. A combination of this biological treatment with ultrasonic cavitation will be tested later. A series of batch experiments with synthetic groundwater to degrade PFAS and chlorinated compounds with different reagents were conducted (including ferrate, activated persulfate, and zero-valent iron).
The final design of the sediment treatment pilot was completed. The pilot was replicated at laboratory scale to obtain preliminary results on PFAS removal during sediment washing.
Innovative drinking water treatment (DWT) trains capable of removing iPM(T)s and PFAS from water sources with high organic matter background were investigated by testing the removal capacity of multiple adsorptive media at laboratory scale to select 3 media for pilot-scale column testing.
To reduce the transfer of iPM(T)s and PFAS during water reuse for agricultural irrigation of WWTP effluent with high share of industrial wastewater, an electro-oxidation process was tested at laboratory scale to identify optimal operating conditions for removal of 7 target iPM(T) and PFAS for the upscaling to pilot scale.
To reduce PFAS and industrial chemical emission to the water cycle from municipal WWTPs, samples of effluent from wastewater treatment plants with advanced treatment technologies were analysed for removal of PFAS and iPM(T)s, and a guideline document for operators was written.
Finally, landfill leachate treatment options including pyrolysis, plasma treatment, and membrane filtration to eliminate PFAS emission into water-based CE routes were tested at laboratory scale.
The structure of the Decision Support Framework (DSF) has been designed. The first step was to collect available information and expectations from end-users. The results were analysed to begin assessing the modalities for presenting diagnostic elements and evaluating solutions. An initial prototype of the DSF was produced and tested by the partners. Additionally, the substitution portal is available online: https://substitution-perfluores.ineris.fr/fr. Initially dedicated to the substitution of other chemical families, PFAS and iPM(T) substitutions are now included. The substitution portal aims to gather all relevant information useful to support economic operators engaged in a substitution approach of PFAS and iPM(T) compounds.
Ten targeted methods for a variety of matrices were developed, and a final set of 57 PFAS can be analyzed. These matrices include surface water, groundwater and drinking water, methods for PFAS and their precursors and transformation products in landfill leachate, sewage sludge, membrane filtration concentrates, stack emissions, plants, sediments and soils.
Existing in silico models that predict properties (e,g, toxicity, solubility) from the structure of the compound (i.e. QSPR models) for PFAS compounds were identified. A list of selected bioassays and 15 different endpoints associated with PFAS exposure was drawn up. To predict physico-chemical properties of PFAS (solubility, vapour pressure, Koa, Kow, Kaw, kH and Koc), existing models were improved and new ones were developed. These values will be used in the fate and transport modelling. Regarding the aquatic toxicity properties of PFAS, artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches were used to develop a model suitable for predicting the aquatic toxicity of organic chemicals, such as PFAS congeners.
Initial work on characterizing the fate and transport of PFAS was carried out as part of the associated case studies. The first models were developed and tested to simulate PFAS transport in porous media and to perform risk-based exposure assessment of PFAS and iPM(T)s. Monitoring of PFAS and iPM(T)s in the various case studies has started.
Innovative technologies for the removal of PFAS and iPM(T)s were developed and demonstration phases highlighted their relevance at lab-scale as a first step.
A chemical treatment process (in situ chemical reduction) for the degradation of PFAS has been designed and tested. A process for flushing PFAS in high concentrations out of soils using non-Newtonian liquids (gels and foams) was developed. Several experiments have been carried out on the biological treatment of PFAS using fungal enzymes. A combination of this biological treatment with ultrasonic cavitation will be tested later. A series of batch experiments with synthetic groundwater to degrade PFAS and chlorinated compounds with different reagents were conducted (including ferrate, activated persulfate, and zero-valent iron).
The final design of the sediment treatment pilot was completed. The pilot was replicated at laboratory scale to obtain preliminary results on PFAS removal during sediment washing.
Innovative drinking water treatment (DWT) trains capable of removing iPM(T)s and PFAS from water sources with high organic matter background were investigated by testing the removal capacity of multiple adsorptive media at laboratory scale to select 3 media for pilot-scale column testing.
To reduce the transfer of iPM(T)s and PFAS during water reuse for agricultural irrigation of WWTP effluent with high share of industrial wastewater, an electro-oxidation process was tested at laboratory scale to identify optimal operating conditions for removal of 7 target iPM(T) and PFAS for the upscaling to pilot scale.
To reduce PFAS and industrial chemical emission to the water cycle from municipal WWTPs, samples of effluent from wastewater treatment plants with advanced treatment technologies were analysed for removal of PFAS and iPM(T)s, and a guideline document for operators was written.
Finally, landfill leachate treatment options including pyrolysis, plasma treatment, and membrane filtration to eliminate PFAS emission into water-based CE routes were tested at laboratory scale.
The structure of the Decision Support Framework (DSF) has been designed. The first step was to collect available information and expectations from end-users. The results were analysed to begin assessing the modalities for presenting diagnostic elements and evaluating solutions. An initial prototype of the DSF was produced and tested by the partners. Additionally, the substitution portal is available online: https://substitution-perfluores.ineris.fr/fr. Initially dedicated to the substitution of other chemical families, PFAS and iPM(T) substitutions are now included. The substitution portal aims to gather all relevant information useful to support economic operators engaged in a substitution approach of PFAS and iPM(T) compounds.
The PROMISCES approach is a combination of innovations in controlled conditions and demonstrations in real-world situations, to provide solutions and guidance tools for preventing and mitigating risks associated with the presence of PFAS and iPM(T)s in the soil-sediment-water system, with particular focus on the circular economy.
New analytical methods for, e.g. detecting and quantifying PFAS and iPM(T)s in waters and complex matrices will be validated up to TRL 7-8 to ensure seamless implementation in the project’s case studies. Models for fate and transport and the assessment of human exposure and hence, risk, will be developed to a level of maturity enabling the decision support framework at TRL 7 for straightforward end-use. PROMISCES introduces an integrated set of innovative treatment and remediation concepts for removing PFAS and iPM(T)s from soil, sediments, sludge, groundwater, wastewater, landfill leachate and drinking water. State-of-the-art technologies for the remediation of solid and liquid matrices will be brought to TRL 4-6 using a combination of controlled experiments and demonstrators.
The technical solutions developed within PROMISCES as well as other relevant information regarding the effective risk management of PFAS and iPM(T) substances in the soil-sediment-water system will be made available to stakeholders through the online DSF.
New analytical methods for, e.g. detecting and quantifying PFAS and iPM(T)s in waters and complex matrices will be validated up to TRL 7-8 to ensure seamless implementation in the project’s case studies. Models for fate and transport and the assessment of human exposure and hence, risk, will be developed to a level of maturity enabling the decision support framework at TRL 7 for straightforward end-use. PROMISCES introduces an integrated set of innovative treatment and remediation concepts for removing PFAS and iPM(T)s from soil, sediments, sludge, groundwater, wastewater, landfill leachate and drinking water. State-of-the-art technologies for the remediation of solid and liquid matrices will be brought to TRL 4-6 using a combination of controlled experiments and demonstrators.
The technical solutions developed within PROMISCES as well as other relevant information regarding the effective risk management of PFAS and iPM(T) substances in the soil-sediment-water system will be made available to stakeholders through the online DSF.