Detecting and treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian water systems

2021年4月24日，加拿大联邦政府发布了一份《关于解决全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质(PFAS)广泛类别的意向通知》。全氟辛烷磺酸是一类新兴的环境污染物，对人体健康有未知的影响，传统方法治疗效果不佳。美国环境保护局在其毒性数据库中列出了4,700多种全氟辛烷磺酸分子，但只公布了其中少数几种的标准分析方法(例如，环境保护局报告了饮用水中18种全氟辛烷磺酸的检测方法)。霍普金斯大学(滑铁卢大学)和贝鲁蒂教授(西部大学)与USP Technologies、Brown and Caldwell、安大略省清洁水局以及安大略省的七个区域供水系统合作，解决供水中全氟辛烷磺酸的存在和处理问题。这些合作设施为250多万加拿大人提供水和废水服务。霍普金斯教授将指导有关使用离子迁移率光谱和质谱仪检测水和生物固体样品中痕量全氟辛烷磺酸的研究。在数据获取之后，霍普金斯大学将监督机器学习模型的开发，以预测全氟辛烷磺酸的物理化学性质和处理过程产生的转化产物。Berruti教授将与USP Technologies Inc.的Domeico Santoro博士合作，指导有关通过热解破坏生物固体中的PFAS以及通过VUV处理水中的PFAS的研究。这项研究将确定安大略省水域中存在哪些PFAS，确定支撑处理技术的化学和物理过程，并提供关键信息，向加拿大水系统通报潜在的PFAS污染物和处理方案。

On 24 April 2021, the Canadian Federal government issued a "Notice of intent to address the broad class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)". PFAS are an emerging class of environmental contaminants, which have unknown human health effects and for which traditional methods treatment are ineffective. The United States Environmental Protection Agency lists more than 4,700 PFAS molecules in their toxicity database, but standard analytical methods have been published for only a handful of these species (e.g., the EPA has reported methods for the determination of 18 PFAS in drinking water). Professors Hopkins (University of Waterloo) and Berruti (Western University) have partnered with USP Technologies, Brown and Caldwell, the Ontario Clean Water Agency, and seven regional water supply systems in Ontario to address the presence of and treatment of PFAS in water supplies. The partnering facilities provide water and wastewater services to more than 2.5 million Canadians. Prof. Hopkins will direct research concerned with detecting trace amounts of PFAS in water and biosolid samples using ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry. Following data acquisition, Hopkins will oversee the development of machine learning models to predict the physicochemical properties of PFAS and the transformation products yielded by the treatment processes. Prof. Berruti will direct research concerned with destruction of PFAS in biosolids via pyrolysis, and in water via VUV treatment in collaboration with Dr. Domenico Santoro from USP Technologies Inc. This research will determine which PFAS are present in Ontario waters, determine the chemical and physical processes underpinning treatment technologies, and provide key information to inform Canadian water systems of potential PFAS contaminants and treatment options.