USING PFAS ANALYSES TO TRACE LANDFILL LEACHATE RELEASES

Modern solid waste landfills are required and designed to prevent leachate releases into the environment. This is due to the fact that landfill leachate typically contains a variety of contaminants that pose threats to local groundwater and surface-water quality. Among these are organic and inorganic chemicals, nutrients, and microbes. Unfortunately, detection of harmful leachate releases can be obscured by the size and concealed nature of the area being monitored, the irregular frequency of leachate releases, and the subsequent attenuation of the constituents released. A chemically conservative marker in leachate would make these tasks much easier for investigating scientists and regulators. Enter per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called “forever chemicals” that are known to be prime ingredients in modern landfill leachate. Their resistance to degradation allows them to be utilized as nearly indelible markers of leachate releases and associated migration and exposure pathways. This presentation discusses the theory and practical application of using PFAS analyses to “fingerprint” solid waste landfill leachate releases.