SESSION B12 / 25 November 2026 / 15:00 - 16:15
Workshop - PFAS in Waste Streams: Challenges, Technologies, and Future Horizons
Chair / Presidente: F. Khodaparastan (UK)
Organised by: Tarek Rashwan, Fatemeh Khodaparastan (The University of Nottingham, UK), Felicia Fredriksson, Rudolf Aro, Leo Yeung (Örebro University, SE), Malin Johansson (Luleå University of Technology, SE)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been key synthetic compounds used in many consumer and safety-critical products and – from food wrappers to fire-fighting foams. Thousands of unique compounds are now under the PFAS classification. PFAS contamination is insidious as current understanding now shows that pollution from these compounds poses severe environmental risks. Due to PFAS’ toxicity, persistency, and mobility – small concentrations can transport widely in the environment and bioaccumulate in the food chain to adversely impact human and ecosystem health. There are now many treatment methods available that aim to capture PFAS to limit its mobility in the environment. As an example, activated carbon and ion exchange resins are commonly used to remove PFAS from drinking water. From another perspective, critical anesthetic gases such as isoflurane, desflurane, and sevoflurane have been widely used in medical applications; these gases are trapped in activated carbon after use for disposal. The used activated carbon and ion exchange resins, as well as other PFAS-contaminated materials (e.g., municipal solid wastes, sewage sludge, and hazardous wastes), necessitate active treatment.
Thermal treatment methods have shown strong promise in destroying PFAS at the appropriate conditions (e.g., peak temperatures and residence times). However, there are many research gaps regarding PFAS destruction in these thermal systems, and even small concentrations of untreated PFAS leftover from incomplete or partial destruction can pose long-lasting and challenging environmental risks for future generations. These PFAS treatment knowledge gaps must be solved to reliably ensure full PFAS destruction in thermal waste treatment systems. Furthermore, treatment method selection is shaped not only by technical effectiveness but also by regulatory frameworks, liability structures, and the application of the polluter-pays principle.
This workshop integrates technical and policy perspectives to explore how institutional frameworks influence PFAS treatment choices.
T. Rashwan, F. Khodaparastan, F. Fredriksson, R. Aro, L. Yeung, M. Johansson (GB)
Exploring challenges and future directions associated with PFAS-contaminated waste in thermal treatment systems
M. Zanetti, G. Campo, D. Panepinto, M. Ravina, B. Ruffino, G. Zanzi (IT)
PFAS management in municipal sewage sludge: environmental monitoring and full-scale assessment of thermal oxidation in a fluidized bed furnace
