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

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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.