Remediation of PFAS-Contaminated Environments

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent anthropogenic compounds that have been widely used since the 1950s and are now ubiquitously detected in the environment from the atmosphere, biosphere, to hydrosphere. Across the US, hundreds of sites have been contaminated by PFAS and more than 6 million Americans are consuming water containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exceeding the US EPA’s provisional guidelines for these two chemicals, a maximum combined 70 ng/L. Many adverse health effects for humans and wildlife including cancer, obesity, immunotoxicity, and thyroid disease, have been associated with exposures to PFAS.

 

In our lab, we have been investigating different approaches, such as sorption, nanophotocatalysts and plant-microbe interactions for removing PFAS from contaminated environment. In terms of the third approach, we have demonstrated that plants do uptake and accumulate perfluroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in shoots and roots (Fig. 1). Interestingly and surprisingly, we have observed anaerobic PFAA degraders on agar plates (Fig. 2 and 3).

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Fig.1: Exposure of Juncus effusus to seven PFAAs. PFOS was largely accumulated in the roots with limited upward translocation.  PFAAs with shorter carbon chain length were taken up by J. effusus roots and tended to accumulate in plant shoots. The exposure to PFAAs stimulated antioxidative defense system in J. effusus shoots but inhibited the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and damaged the antioxidative defense system in J. effusus roots.

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Funding source: University at Albany, SUNY

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