Critical Review on the Fate and Transport of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl
Substances (PFAS) in Subsurface Environments
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever
chemicals”, are manmade chemicals that have been increasingly detected
in various geological media since the early 2000s. The soil and
subsurface environments are the geological media commonly affected by
PFAS. We conducted a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed studies
published from 2010 through 2021 concerning the fate and transport of
PFAS in subsurface environments. This review is organized into different
subsections, covering the basics of PFAS properties and how they affect
the occurrence, fate, and transport of PFAS, the fundamental processes
affecting subsurface transport and fate of PFAS, and mathematical models
for describing and predicting PFAS transport behaviors. Mechanisms
governing PFAS transport in the subsurface environment, including the
sorption of PFAS at the air‒water interface, solid‒water interface, and
nonaqueous phase liquids‒water interface, were explored in detail.
Challenges and future research priorities are identified to better
combat the global challenges of PFAS contamination.