Elucidation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Removal from Landfill Leachate Using Electrocoagulation Technology

In the recent years, there has been a significant increase in municipal and industrial solid waste due to factors such as urban population growth, industrialization, and ongoing economic expansion. A notable group of emerging contaminants that have been detected at elevated levels in our environment are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as the ‘Forever Chemicals’. PFAS have raised concerns due to their toxicity and widespread presence in the environment, both in water and solid materials. These compounds are anthropogenic in nature and consist of long hydrophobic perfluorinated carbon chains (C_n F_2n+1) and a hydrophilic functional group such as—SO₃⁻. Government regulations have established maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) levels for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water, which are set at 0.6 µg/L and 0.2 µg/L, respectively (Government of Canada 2018). One solution for PFAS release into our environment is to investigate landfill leachate (LL) treatment to efficiently remove PFAS. Electrocoagulation technology (EC) is employed to agitate the formation of flocs with a propensity to either float or settle. Following the concentration of PFAS in the foam layer generated by the EC system, this study manages various operational parameters. The initial PFOS concentration stands at 40 µg/L, with an EC reaction time of 60 min. The PFOS removal efficiency in the effluent surpasses 90%. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measurements are utilized to analyze PFOS removal through EC technology.