Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent compounds in nature and have been shown to have adverse health effects. Residents in Kallinge, Sweden, were exposed to PFAS through contaminated ground water used for drinking, resulting in the highest globally measured concentrations of PFAS in their blood. While active landfills in Sweden have been well-documented regarding PFAS, thousands inactive landfills in Sweden remain unexamined. This study examines the presence and temporal trends of PFAS in the leachate of one active landfill and the groundwater surrounding 36 closed landfills. Additionally, this study suggests which PFAS compounds should be monitored at landfills and in surrounding groundwater. PFAS concentration in the leachate of the active landfill differed between the snow period and the snow-free period. This may be attributed to differences in landfill treatment, as a chemical treatment is used during the snow period, and biological treatment during the snow-free period. A significant difference between short- and long chained PFAS was found in the active landfill.However, no significant differences were found year-over-year during the 5-year period examined. PFAS were detected in 31 of the 36 investigated inactive landfills, with 6 sites exceeding current guidelines for contamination. Approval of a new proposal would mean that an additional 15 landfills would exceed the guidelines. Typical PFAS analysis currently includes PFAS11, it is however recommended that broader analysis is implemented to comply with future guidelines based on PFAS24. Overall, the results highlight the risk of PFAS-contaminated groundwater spreading from landfills to drinking water sources.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-221480 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Elldegren, Miriam |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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