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  • Perspective
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Cross-national challenges and strategies for PFAS regulatory compliance in water infrastructure

Nature Water volume 1, pages 1004–1015 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are notable health concerns, leading to global drinking-water regulations for primary PFAS. However, conventional drinking-water treatment methods are ineffective in eliminating PFAS due to their resistance to such processes. Moreover, certain disinfection procedures may inadvertently generate perfluorinated compounds from polyfluorinated precursor compounds. With evolving regulations, there exists an immediate demand for both technical and non-technical solutions that water treatment facilities can adopt. Here, to address this critical gap, we examine the primary challenges tied to PFAS removal and introduce a detailed four-stage protocol. We advocate for non-technical strategies to improve PFAS removal practices. The treatment trains and management recommendations presented in this Perspective are also geared towards helping utilities comply with regulations concerning other chemical contaminants, including disinfection by-products. We emphasize the necessity for practical PFAS monitoring and treatment guidelines and encourage utilities to leverage all available resources, to positively impact public health through improved water quality.

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Fig. 1: The number of contaminants (cumulative) regulated under the US SDWA.
Fig. 2: A multi-barrier treatment system potentially effective for PFAS removal from water in full-scale DWTPs.
Fig. 3: A phased approach to monitor PFAS in the public water system.

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Acknowledgements

This development of this paper was supported by US Environmental Protection Agency STAR Program (RD839660), US Department of Defense SERDP (ER22-4014; ER22-4015; ER18-1515), US Department of Defense ESTCP (ER21-5152), US National Science Foundation CAREER Program (2320966), US National Science Foundation (CBET 1805718; CBET 2041060) and Water Research Foundation (Project 5103). P.R. acknowledges partial support from European Union (NextGenerationEU), through the MUR-PNRR project SAMOTHRACE (ECS00000022). D.D. acknowledges support from the University of Cincinnati through the Herman Schneider Professorship in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dionysios Dionysiou, who sadly passed away on 20 November 2023. The environmental community mourns the loss of a giant, a beloved scholar, and an amazing man. He will be deeply missed by us. We honour his legacy, which continues to impact the field and inspire future generations of researchers.

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Author notes

  1. Deceased: Dionysios Dionysiou.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Feng Xiao & Baolin Deng

  2. Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Dionysios Dionysiou

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anderson, SC, USA

    Tanju Karanfil

  4. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Kevin O’Shea

  5. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    Paolo Roccaro

  6. Haley & Aldrich, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA, USA

    Zhong John Xiong

  7. Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Dongye Zhao

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Contributions

F.X. led the conception and the writing of the paper and the data analysis and plotting. All other authors, namely, B.D., D.D., T.K., K.O’S., P.R., Z.J.X. and D.Z., jointly contributed to the conception and writing of the paper. Each also provided valuable feedback on every section.

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Correspondence to Feng Xiao.

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Xiao, F., Deng, B., Dionysiou, D. et al. Cross-national challenges and strategies for PFAS regulatory compliance in water infrastructure. Nat Water 1, 1004–1015 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00164-8

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