Communities Impacted by PFAS and other Emerging Contaminants

PFAS Contamination

Researchers at the UA SRC are developing and testing the theory governing the transport of per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental systems. Our work comprises:

  • The first investigations of the influence of adsorption at air-water and oil-water interfaces on the retention and transport of PFAS in porous media (Brusseau, 2018; Lyu et al., 2018; Brusseau et al., 2019; Brusseau, 2019a). 
  • Demonstration that these retention processes have significant impact on PFAS migration and storage in source zones.
  • Development of the first comprehensive conceptual and mathematical models for PFAS retention in multi-phase systems (Brusseau et al., 2019). 
  • Chemometric tools to develop the first quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model for predicting interfacial adsorption coefficients for PFAS and, ultimately, retention and migration of PFAS in soil and groundwater systems (Brusseau, 2019b; Brusseau and Van Glubt, 2019).

This information is critical for improving characterization of contaminated sites, examining soil leaching potential, assessing exposure risk, developing management and mitigation strategies, and implementing effective remediation efforts.

Publications

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