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Editor’s note: This story references a grant awarded in 2023. Furst is now ��at 4Va partner school Virginia Tech.

One of the most pressing issues in human and ecological health is the abundance of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalate esters (PAEs) in our ecosystem—two classes of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals.” In addition to their destructive nature affecting wildlife, soil, and agriculture, they are also responsible for causing human health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.��

While scientists worldwide are racing to learn more about how to combat PFAS and PAEs in a variety of settings, George Mason Ģ��AV researcher has been focused on PFAS AND PAEs in water treatment and wastewater reuse.����

Furst, an assistant professor in George Mason’s , reasoned that wastewater treatment facilities are a major avenue through which PFAS and PAEs can contaminate drinking water and air, as many of these compounds are insufficiently removed by typical treatment processes. Furst specifically wanted to explore the air-water interface. PFAS have a high surface activity, which results in their attraction to the air-water interface. And while PAEs have a lower surface activity, they might be attracted to other materials that accumulate at the air-water interface. Research in full-scale treatment systems was needed to understand these interactions.��

The 4-VA@George Mason Advisory Board recognized the importance of this research and awarded Furst’s 4-VA proposal, “The role of the air-water interface in breakthrough of PFAS and phthalate esters during wastewater treatment.”��

Joining Furst in the research was 4-VA partner Zhiwu (Drew) Wang, a specialist in wastewater treatment and biological processes at Virginia Tech. Furst also tapped Mason graduate student Meghana Kuppa who was already developing analytical methods to measure PFAS and PAEs. Ethan Gasper, an undergraduate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, assisted Kuppa with much of the bench work on the project.��

Kuppa collected water samples and scum, which is the material that accumulates at the air-water interface, from process unit tanks at a wastewater treatment plant to measure the target contaminants and water quality parameters known to impact partitioning behavior. Their goal? Quantify the role of the air-water interface in enabling breakthrough of PFAS and PAEs in wastewater treatment facilities and identify potential engineering solutions.��

Although developing the complex methodologies for the project was a challenge, several important outcomes were realized. First, high levels of multiple PFAS were found in the scum from both the primary and secondary treatment processes. The team concluded that the PFAS levels in the primary scum samples were much higher than they could accurately measure due to interference from particulates and oily substances in the water. However, analysis of the secondary treatment determined any PFAS present are more likely to be found in the treated water and may also contaminate the facility air.��

While fewer PAEs were found in the scum samples, Kuppa’s experiments show that phthalates can bind to organic material in the scum. This may contribute to the difficulty in removing phthalates during wastewater treatment.

“The 4-VA award empowered my group to pursue this new line of research and helped to support Kuppa’s innovative thesis projects,” said Furst.��