UCLA

PFAS site remediation studies often overlook stormwater as a potential source of PFAS contamination. This review article looks at the transport and distribution of these anthropogenic chemicals in stormwater, to identify the species and extent of distribution of these PFAS molecules, and then brings a comparison of different adsorbents (Biochar, Granulated Activated Carbon, Ion-Exchange Resins) in stormwater biofilters as a remediation technique. We found biochar and GAC to have an extremely variable adsorption capacity (over 3 orders of magnitude) and IX Resins to have the highest PFAS adsorption. These were attributed to several factors including soil chemistry, PFAS species present, and weather conditions. However, from a cost-benefit analysis perspective IX Resins were found to be almost 9x more expensive than traditional adsorbents. Hence, either a particular type of adsorbent or a combination of sorts has been suggested, and different factors that affect the adsorption of each of these amendments has been discussed to make an informed decision.