PFAS - Persistent Micropollutants in the Water Cycle

Learn about the origin of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, their toxicity, regulation, and environmental impact. Explore the analytical potential and limitations of PFAS detection and discover the state-of-the art approaches to the separation and destruction of PFAS during water treatment.

PFAS - or ‘forever chemicals’ - are man-made compounds with strong carbon-fluoride bonds in their molecular structure. This bond confers many desirable properties in the chemical, but also makes it nearly indestructible and very difficult to remove from water and other environments. High and long-term exposure to PFAS has been known to increase the risk of cancer and liver problems and harm the reproductive and immune systems.

This course comprehensively explores per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Your will learn about PFAS molecular structures, their physico-chemical characteristics and the (eco) toxicity of the main PFAS groups.

You will gain an understanding of the industrial origins of PFAS, their pathways into environmental systems, expected concentration ranges, the analytical possibilities and limitations of PFAS detection in environmental samples and current attempts to regulate PFAS in Europe. Leading experts in the field will give advice on planning sampling campaigns and the interpretation of results.

In this course you will learn about the state-of-the-art approaches to PFAS separation and destruction. You will learn about and compare concentration technologies’ performance in separating PFAS. You will also learn about various PFAS destruction technologies, assessing their readiness levels, performance, and efficiency.

The course offers video tours of PFAS research labs and facilities, a water treatment plant, a variety of interviews with peer professionals, and provides high-quality learning material.

This course addresses the needs of professionals from the water industry, as well as decision-makers and policy-makers, to gain valuable insights into today's PFAS challenges. It is aimed at water professionals (engineers or consultants), technologists, laboratory researchers, innovators from water authorities, and practitioners in the fields of environmental and sanitary engineering.

In modules 3 and 5 of the course, instructors will host live online feedback and discussion sessions designed to foster collaboration, spark idea exchange, and support assignment discussions. While attendance is encouraged, these events are not mandatory.

IWA Members can avail a 10% discount on the ConnectPlus platform!

This course is primarily geared towards working professionals. Prerequisites: Participants must have basic knowledge of chemistry.

After successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the main PFAS groups based on their molecular structure and link the main groups to origin, impact, and treatability
• Describe the industrial origin of PFAS, their pathway into the environment, and estimate expected concentration ranges
• Evaluate an analytical report of a PFAS sampling campaign considering the limitations of the sampling and analytical methods
• Compare concentration technologies [such as IX, GAC, membranes, and DAF] with regard to their removal performance and process efficiency for PFAS of different chain lengths and other properties
• Compare destruction technologies such as thermal, microwave, plasma, and cavitation with regard to the readiness of their technology, their performance, and process efficiency for PFAS of different chain length and other properties
• Assess the feasibility of engineering solutions for PFAS removal/destruction