Collaborating with a team of researchers, the study assesses the effectiveness of various soil amendments in immobilising PFAS, reducing its leachability, and minimising both ecological and human exposure. The study is presented at the 2024 Battelle Chlorinated Conference in Denver, Colorado, USA.
The study evaluates RemBind® – a composite soil amendment consisting of aluminium hydroxide, activated carbon, and kaolin clay – to immobilise PFAS in AFFF-contaminated soils across several Australian sites. The research tests PFAS leachability, bioaccumulation in earthworms, and bioavailability in rats to assess the effectiveness of the soil amendment in reducing both ecological and human exposure to PFAS contamination.
PFAS leachability, especially for PFOS and PFHxS, is reduced by over 99% when treated with 5% w/w RemBind®.
Earthworm bioassays show significant reductions in PFAS bioaccumulation when exposed to treated soil, with bioaccumulation factors dropping from 12–44 (PFOS) to 0.2–0.6 (PFOS) after treatment.
Using a rat bioassay, the relative bioavailability of PFOS in amended soils decreases from 45–107% in untreated soil to 5.1–24% in treated soil, indicating a significant reduction in potential human health risks from incidental soil ingestion.
The study highlights that using RemBind® soil amendments can significantly reduce PFAS mobility, bioavailability, and accumulation in biological receptors, providing a promising, evidence-based strategy for reducing environmental and human exposure to PFAS from AFFF-contaminated soils. This research also paves the way for remediation solutions applicable to other secondary PFAS sources such as biosolids and compost.
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