Current Practices and Improvements: PFAS Remediation in Australia

This report provides a comprehensive overview of PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) remediation in Australia. It begins with an executive summary highlighting the importance of protecting human health and the approval of health-based PFAS guidelines. The introduction explains what PFAS are, their widespread use, and the environmental persistence and potential health risks associated with them. The report discusses common types of PFAS chemicals (PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS) and the importance of domestic inventory and contamination assessment. It reviews current remediation techniques, including the application of granular activated carbon (GAC) technology and the use of conceptual site models. The report also examines the methodology, including a project planning flowchart based on the ASC NEPM approach, and reviews the literature to provide context. The report concludes with a discussion of current PFAS remedial practices, improvements, and the need for ongoing advancements in this critical area of environmental engineering. The report highlights the need for innovative methods for PFAS remediation and highlights areas for future research and development.

PFAS REMEDIATION IN AUSTRALIA, CURRENT PRACTICES AND
IMPROVEMENTS
By ‘student Name’
Institution affiliation (course or Track) & Student no.
Executive summary
This paper presents PFAS, its apps and its economic persistence and recognizes the importance
of sound economic leadership for the protection of human health. Authorities in Australia have
approved health-based PFAS guidelines and are mentioned for easy reference in this paper.
Information is available on the importance of a domestic inventory of stocks and contamination,
and requirements for identifying priority evaluation regions. The location evaluation and
executive data should include determining the danger of soil and resource use receptors and the
motion of non-site receptors. Further debate on site handling maintenance, repair and treatments,
landfill disposal, treatment and demolition efficiency norms as well as storage and transport are
given.
1.0 Introduction
Remediation techniques are used to immobilize, extract or destruct the specific contaminants
using chemical and physical characteristics. Some PFAS have been regulated lately and
tentatively remediating the land, pollution and water. The chemical characteristics of these
compounds are distinctive and involve fresh remediation techniques or creative combinations of
current techniques. Applied rules and suitable hazard assessments should govern the choice to
remedy PFAS (McCarthy, Kappleman and DiGuiseppi, 2017).
The PFAS is a chemical for the use in goods that withstand heat, oil, marks and humidity. The
acronym represents per-and poly-fluoroalkyl. Chemicals were used in many family goods and
specialized apps in Australia and around the globe. As a consequence, most individuals in
advanced countries are affected by certain PFAS. Legacy fire-fighter foams that contain PFOS
and PFOA were used as active components globally and across Australia, also on Defence
grounds, owing to their efficacy in the fight against fluid fuels. The active components were also
used widely in ancient times. The legacy fire-fighting skin is also frequently discovered to be an
impurity in the production method, as is perfluoro hexane sulfonate (PFHxS). PFAS is highly
permanent in the setting and resistant to typical procedures of environmental degradation. A
long-range transport of atmospheric and sea fluids appears to be the path to dispersion of such
chemical products. In a variety of environments, several PFAS and potential precursors are
omnipresent. Some long-chain PFAS bioaccumulate and join the food chain in livestock. For
many years, PFAS and its materials have been used in manufacturing procedures and
consumable goods, including for acetous film-shaping freighting foams, chromium plating (in
plastic etching and mist-suppressing to safeguard employees against poisonous hexavalent

chromium smokes), medical imaging (e.g., x-ray films), numerous textiles, paper and aerospace
hydraulic apps.
1.1 Common types of PFAs chemicals
Many chemicals of PFAS and only a few analytical techniques are accessible. The best strategy
is to use commercially accessible techniques, including PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, for primary
chemicals.
Consequently, the quantity of other current PFAS may be shown by such methods as Total
Oxidizable Precursor Assay (TOPA) and Total Organic Fluorine (TTOF). This can inform the
authorities about the complete burden of PFAS and the future hazards related to existing PFAS.
Two of the most researched PFAS are PFOS and PFOA. PFOA and PFOS exposure is widely
and globally available. PFOS and PFOA continue and are progressively removed in the human
body. In both blood and urine, breast milk and the umbilical cord fluid both PFOS and PFOA
can be observed.
Figure 1 a tree diagram showing common types of PFAS chemicals (Defence.gov.au, 2019)
These three common types have been discussed as shown below.
I. PFOS
II. PFOA
III. PFHxS
Research objectives
 Provide choices for procedure leadership of contaminated land, building and demolition
waste and water at the building site, at the base or in the area of the basin;
 To guarantee an embedded PFAS risk leadership strategy that integrates any provisional
measures to handle future hazards and project conditions into the PFAS Management
Zone Plan
 Minimizing the effect of PFAS risk mitigation

 Provide advice compatible usually with the PFAS Global Environmental health Program
2.0 Literature review
EPA Victoria held a PFAS domestic and global agencies meeting in April 2017, on behalf of
HEPA and the Australian government's Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Following the account of the Summit Results of HEPA, this PFAS NEMP Consultation Draft
was developed to promote a nationally coherent attitude to economic legislation of PFAS.
Although they were studied with several techniques, PFOA and PFOS were removed from water
only in the laboratory.
The respondents in the summit decided that the economic PFAS legislation should apply the'
precautionary principle.' The concept of precautionary protection implies that the absence of
complete scientific assurance should not be taken as justification for postponing environmental
degradation interventions in the event of chances of severe or irreversible economic loss. In
addition, decision-making should be led by carefully assessing the risk-weighted implications of
multiple alternatives to prevent severe or irreversible harm to the atmosphere where practicable.
PFAS occurs in Australia in small levels in land, sediment, ground water, ground water, biota
and waste including strong waste (such as building waste and biosolids) and wastewater
(wastewater therapy plant fluid), due to its extensive implementation and persistence in the
setting. The PFAS are quickly spread through surface water drainage and ground water
liquidation into the setting (Engineersaustralia.org.au, 2019).
3. Methodology
This research recognizes that a broad array and site particular methods are essential for
contaminated locations. A step-by-step method to assess and manage the prospective
contaminated locations of PFOS / PFOA in accordance with the ASC NEPM level evaluation
should be adopted by commonwealth organizations to provide information for risk leadership
choices. Figure 2 presents a flow chart based on the approach of the ASC NEPM approach,
indicating how the ASC NEPM measures broadly fit into the research, diagnosis or response
elements of this Guideline. Figure 2 shows.
3.1 project planning flow chart showing series of activities to be performed

Monitor Take action
No action
needed*
Investigation
levels exceeded?
Site management
plan required? Site remediation
required?
Sufficient
information for
risk-based
decision?
Sufficient
information to
apply site specific
criteria and risk
assessment?
Tier 1 Preliminary site
investigation and
laboratory analysis
Develop conceptual
site model
Choose appropriate
investigation levels
Tier 1 Detailed site
investigation and
laboratory analysis
Refine conceptual site
model
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
YesYes
No
Yes
No
n=1
No
No
Sufficient
information or risk-
based remediation
strategies?
Potential
PFOS/PFOA
contaminating
activities?
Tier 2 and 3
Site-specific risk
assessment
Additional investigation
and laboratory analysis
Refine conceptual site
model
Figure 2 project plan, activities, flowchart and analysis with action plan
Technological remedies for PFAS
As a consequence of increased governmental attention to this fresh category of contaminants
with decreasing levels of water quality, frequently pieces per trillion, the need for the
remediation of poly‐ and perfluoroalkyl materials (PFASs) is increasing. PFASs contain over

three thousand individual compounds but PFASs known to be highly permanent, highly mobile,
and progressively bio accumulative, with a knowledge of their toxicology, are the subject of tests
and laws. PFASs are called perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). But in the atmosphere and in greater
plants thousands of "PFAA precursors" are polyfluorinated (Ross et al., 2019).
These technological aspects have been discussed below
I. Application of Granular activated carbon (GAC) Technology
Presently in use for the removal of long chain PFAS from water, granular activated carbon
(GAC) is used as an adsorbent. However, few trials analyse the replacement of PFAS with GAC
in the short-chain. The current Rapid Small-Scale Column Test compares the extraction from soil
of a series of PFAS both lengthy and short-chain. Results indicate that the re-agglomerated
carbon based GACs, virgin or recreated, can efficiently remove PFAS with four or more per
fluorinated carbons in lengthy and short chains. Perfluoro butanoic acid was also found to have
gained a boost much quicker than all other PFAS, a perfluorobiolic acid with only 3
perfluorinoid carbons. While it is not successful in the short chain PFAAs, GAC may be efficient
for elimination of long chain PFAAs and is less efficacious with its use for elimination of
precursors. (McGregor, 2018)
Experiment analysis
During an experiment done by Westreich et al., 2019, It was observed that the breakthrough was
much faster than all other PFAS in this study, perfluorobuteic acid, a perfluorinated carboxylic
acid containing only three perfluorinated carbons. Carbons revived from cocoa and pool,
respectively, spanned 9-17 percent and 43-57 percent, as carbons from coal tested before the
PFAS release. The findings show a feasible PFAS therapy alternative for contamination of PFAS
in water for all but the lowest perfluorinated carboxylic acid, correctly chosen GACs
(deagglomerated bituminous carbon based, virgin or recreated).
II. Use of conceptual site model to know the risks
The strategy involves selection of prospective locations for PFAS experiments identified
with equipment that may be linked to the formulation, application or storage of PFASs for
the model research.
Case analysis
In order to comprehend prospective PFAS sources kinds and related features, they first
evaluated peer-viewed literature and legislative information (Table 1). Next, to construct a
data base of Victoria installations, they then evaluated the openly accessible national
geospacer coverage and production directories linked to these sources (Table S2). Historical
directories have been transformed to an electronic database with hard-copying files with the
instruments outlined in Berenbaum et al. 2016. Briefly, GEOREG was developed as an open-
source information handling instrument for scanned pictures in Victoria production
directories and for converting the text into geocoded agricultural historical details.

Current PFAS remedial practices in Australia
At the request of the environment officials, the Heads of EPA, New Zealand (HEPA) and the
Australian Government's Ministry for the Environment and Energy (DoEE) are working together
on a coherent national strategy to the environmental legislation of PFAS.
HEPA is well positioned to address evolving problems such as PFAS when developments from
scientists go beyond our existing legislative framework. Throwing this national PFAS
Environmental Management Plan through HEPA, Regulators will operate together to attain
transparent, efficacious and consistent solutions towards economic legislation and leadership.
EPA Victoria held the PFAS-related National and International Regulators Summit in April
2017, on behalf of HEPA and the Australian Department of Environment and Energy. Following
the summit results for account by HEPA, the draft PFAS NEMP Consultation was developed to
promote a nationally coherent attitude to economic legislation in PFAS
The work has already begun to regard the use in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants of PFOS, its sales and PFOA-related chemicals as an element of the
ratification method. The aim of the Stockholm Convention is to prevent the impact of permanent
organic pollutants on human health and the atmosphere. Annex B of the Stockholm Convention
in 2009 mentioned PFOS (limitation). In order to notify the Australian Government of the
ratification of PFOS listings, the Australian government's Department of Environment and
Energy has prioritized the treaty process. The method of concluding the Treaty involves
analytical, advisory and legislative actions.
PFAS remediation improvements
The remediation has improved based on the following
I. Technology maturity - Innovations which have been pilot or full-range proved and are
well established in pair-reviewed literature for several apps.
II. Solid waste produced from environmental inquiry and disposal (e.g. land removal and
wastes from investigations and remediation) has been disposed of in the lined landfills. In
landfill leachates PFAS were observed, although inquiry of waste obtained from PFAS is
unlikely origin, compared to fluorochemical customer item waste. A suitable corrective
choice is also regarded to be the mixture of digging and incineration.
Conclusion
PFAS occurs in Australia in small levels in land, sediment, ground water, ground water, biota
and waste including strong waste (such as building waste and biosolids) and wastewater
(wastewater therapy plant fluid), due to its extensive implementation and persistence in the
setting. The PFAS are quickly spread through surface water drainage and ground water
liquidation into the setting (Engineersaustralia.org.au, 2019). Remediation techniques are used to
immobilize, extract or destruct the specific contaminants using chemical and physical
characteristics. Some PFAS have been regulated lately and tentatively remediating the land,
pollution and water. The chemical characteristics of these compounds are distinctive and involve
fresh remediation techniques or creative combinations of current techniques

References
Defence.gov.au. (2019). What is PFAS?: PFAS : Department of Defence. [online] Available at:
http://www.defence.gov.au/Environment/PFAS/pfas.asp [Accessed 25 May 2019].
Engineersaustralia.org.au. (2019). PFAS: Sustainable Management and Remediation | Engineers
Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Event/pfas-
sustainable-management-and-remediation [Accessed 25 May 2019].
McCarthy, C., Kappleman, W. and DiGuiseppi, W. (2017). Ecological Considerations of Per-
and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Current Pollution Reports, 3(4), pp.289-301.
McGregor, R. (2018). In Situ treatment of PFAS-impacted groundwater using colloidal activated
Carbon. Remediation Journal, 28(3), pp.33-41.
Ross, I., McDonough, J., Miles, J., Storch, P., Thelakkat Kochunarayanan, P., Kalve, E., Hurst,
J., S. Dasgupta, S. and Burdick, J. (2019). A review of emerging technologies for
remediation of PFASs.
Westreich, P., Mimna, R., Brewer, J. and Forrester, F. (2019). The removal of short-chain and
long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids and sulfonates via granular activated carbons: A
comparative column study.