Presence of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Landfill Adjacent Surface Waters in North Carolina

Details

• Personal Author:
  Walsh A ; Woods CG
• Description:
  Landfills pose an important public health risk, especially in historically disenfranchised communities that are disproportionately sited for landfills and in rural areas where private wells may be impacted. Landfills are major sources of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that migrate into the surrounding environment. This study characterized PFAS in surface waters adjacent to two landfills, one in Sampson County (SC) and one in Orange County (OC) in North Carolina. In addition to municipal solid waste and construction and demolition waste, the landfill in SC accepts industrial sludge from a chemical plant that produces proprietary PFAS. Over four months, 35 surface water samples were collected at upstream, landfill-adjacent, and downstream/downgradient sites. Thirty-four PFAS were analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy. Of those, six novel and six legacy PFAS were detected. Legacy PFAS were detected in surface water near both landfills, with the highest concentrations adjacent to the landfill. Novel PFAS were only detected in surface water near the SC landfill and showed the highest concentrations adjacent to the landfill, indicating offsite migration of PFAS. These findings support the need for more comprehensive and frequent monitoring of groundwater and surface water wells near landfills and stricter regulation regarding the landfilling of industrial materials. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chromatography Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: PFAS Emerging Contaminants Environmental Contamination Environmental Exposure Ground Water Industrial Sludge Industrial Wastes Leachate Mass Spectrometry Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances PFAS Waste Disposal

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• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  20
• Issue:
  15
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068224
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Aug; 20(15):6524
• Contact Point Address:
  Courtney G. Woods, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
• Email:
  courtney.woods@unc.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Perfluorocarbons (CAS RN 308069-13-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f7104cd8c690ab3a4a3af147fb41fa1ec1e37616a78b27749ea701bb2ff2b2b9e816a1a121771aa2bc579d095691a97768748bd840b2a2779e8c35d10e5da2c0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230427/cdc_230427_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 9.04 MB ]