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Scientists Detect PFAS in Bottled and Tap Water Around the World

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23 Oct, 2024

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

In a new study, scientists detected the presence of 10 target per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in samples of tap water from the UK and China as well as in bottled waters from 15 countries.

The study, published in the journal ACS ES&T Water, set out to determine potential exposure to some of the most common PFAS from water of various sources around the world. 

The study authors used 112 bottled water samples in both plastic and glass bottles, with water sourced from 15 countries as well as 41 samples of tap water in homes of Birmingham, Worcester, Coventry and Derby, UK and 14 water samples from homes in Shenzhen, China.

The team of researchers behind the study found PFOS and PFOA were most common in bottled water, showing up in more than 99% of the bottled water samples. Other PFAS were detected in 67% to 93% of the bottled waters.

According to the study, the PFAS present in natural mineral water were around 0.82 nanograms/liter compared to the approximate 0.47 nanograms/liter detected in purified bottled water. However, the researchers didn’t find any notable differences in the PFAS detected in glass versus plastic bottles or still bottled water versus sparkling. 

“Our findings also suggest that the potential health risks of PFAS in drinking water may be influenced by lifestyle and economic conditions, highlighting the need for future research to further explore these factors from a socio-economic perspective,” Yi Zheng, co-author of the study and a professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology, said in a statement.

As for tap water, the scientists found higher PFAS concentrations in samples from China (around 9.2 nanograms/liter) than the samples from the UK (around 2.7 nanograms/liter).

The authors did note that while they detected PFAS in the various bottled and tap water samples, the amounts generally did not exceed the limits set by various regulatory agencies. Still, the team noted that the high rates of detection did raise concerns about PFAS monitoring.

“While current PFAS levels in most water samples are not a major health concern, ongoing monitoring and regulation are crucial to protect public health,” said Stuart Harrad, co-author of the study and a professor at the University of Birmingham. “We provide valuable data on the presence of PFAS in drinking water alongside practical solutions to mitigate consumer exposure via drinking water. This is a significant step towards ensuring safer drinking water for communities worldwide.”

The researchers also tested ways of filtering some of these PFAS and found simple methods that consumers could take from home until regulatory agencies can enhance PFAS monitoring for water. 

Boiling water offered a removal rate of around 55% for all 10 PFAS, but it was particularly effective for compounds such as MeFOSA and EtFOSA. Filtering with activated carbon filters, such as with a filtered water pitcher, was especially effective at removing PFAS across the board, ranging from around a removal rate of 81% to 96%, depending on the type of PFAS. Filtering with activated carbon then boiling the water presented water removal rates of around 81% to 99.6%.

“Our findings highlight the widespread presence of PFAS in drinking water and the effectiveness of simple treatment methods to reduce their levels,” Harrad said. “Either using a simple water filtration jug or boiling the water removes a substantial proportion of these substances.”

The post Scientists Detect PFAS in Bottled and Tap Water Around the World appeared first on EcoWatch.

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The Politecnico di Milano, coordinator of the Waste Oils RecycLe and Development (WORLD) project, proposes a circular and sustainable process to turn used vegetable oil into a valuable resource.

Vegetable oil is used widely around the world, and cooking and food preservation is said to generate a huge amount of waste oil. Around four million tonnes of used vegetable oil are produced in Europe each year, representing just 4% of the total global amount of the widespread product. If not properly disposed of, the waste can lead to significant environmental impacts.

The goal of the WORLD project is to optimise waste vegetable oil treatment processes while improving the quality of end products, reducing waste and fostering European independence in the supply of critical raw materials.

The project proposes to recycle used vegetable oil, yielding materials used as bio-lubricants, air purification devices and fine chemical components from petroleum-free precursors. These applications are presented as a supply chain parallel to their well-known use in the production of biodiesel, although this is limited by law to 10% and concerns only the purest fraction of the waste.

In addition to economic and technological benefits, the project has a strong social and environmental impact: raising awareness of correct waste oil collection can reduce public costs related to incorrect disposal and prevent environmental damage. In addition, a life cycle analysis (LCA) will be conducted to assess the best strategies to minimise ecological, economic and social impacts by adopting a ‘zero waste’ approach.

The project study was published by the British Royal Society of Chemistry in the international journal RSC Sustainability.

“We started by observing that the waste vegetable oil recycling industry is currently based on simple decantation and filtration processes, without adequate scientific optimisation. We therefore analysed two alternative techniques — bentonite treatment and water washing — to improve their efficiency and reduce their environmental impact,” explained study co-author Andrea Mele, from the ‘G. Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano.

“Through an experimental approach based on the design of experiments (DoE) methodology and multivariate statistical analysis, we optimised key parameters such as temperature, pH, bentonite concentration and oil-to-water ratio. The results showed that washing with water at 75°C and pH 6 guarantees the best performance in terms of yield, productivity and environmental sustainability, minimising the production of waste and the carbon impacts of the process,” continued co-author Alberto Mannu, who recently transferred from the Politecnico di Milano to the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Brescia.

Thanks to the WORLD project, a mathematical model developed from the collected data yields predictions of equivalent CO2 emissions according to operating conditions, providing the recycling industry with a practical tool for optimising processes in line with environmental certification standards.

This scientifically validated approach marks a step forward in the transition towards an efficient and sustainable circular economy. It is said to form part of the key principles of green chemistry, open new prospects for sustainability and efficiency, and may be highly competitive from a technical/economic perspective in models of the circular economy.

The WORLD project was funded by the European Union under the H2020-MSCA program. The consortium, which is coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, includes the Universities in Burgos (Spain) and Dunkirk (France), LUT University (Finland), and the Universities of Sassari and Brescia, together with non-academic partners in Spain and Italy.

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