PFAS in the waste management industry: reducing emissions
- Reference number
- SM25-0048
- Project leader
- Carabante, Ivan
- Start and end dates
- 260101-271231
- Amount granted
- 1 312 239 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Luleå University of Technology
- Research area
- Other
Summary
PFAS are a group of contaminants that pose a significant global environmental and health threat. These chemicals, which do not occur naturally, result from extensive industrial use and inadequate waste management and water treatment systems. Consequently, landfills, which have accumulated large quantities of PFAS-contaminated materials, are a major source of PFAS contamination. At Högbytorp (Ragn-Sells), PFAS-contaminated soil constitutes 7% of incoming waste, with 40,000 tons classified and landfilled in 2021 alone. This project aims to enhance environmental protection by evaluating PFAS leaching from landfills. It will identify the sources of PFAS and assess leachability as well as study promising treatments at pilot scale. The findings will be published in scientific journals and are expected to improve landfill management practices and deepen our understanding of PFAS contamination in soils. The results are also expected to help decision making for a new Landfill Directive. In Sweden, there is a push to increase the recycling of critical metals. However, many metal-containing products also contain PFAS, which current recycling technologies do not address. This project will investigate new approaches to safely recycle metals from PFAS-containing materials. The anticipated outcome is a steady increase in the safe recycling of metals from these materials in the coming years. Associate Professor Ivan Carabante will work 50% within the R&D group at Ragn-Sells.
Popular science description
PFAS are a group of contaminants that pose a significant global environmental and health threat. These chemicals, which do not occur naturally, result from extensive industrial use and inadequate waste management and water treatment systems. Consequently, landfills, which have accumulated large quantities of PFAS-contaminated materials, are a major source of PFAS contamination. At Högbytorp (Ragn-Sells), PFAS-contaminated soil constitutes 7% of incoming waste, with 40,000 tons classified and landfilled in 2021 alone. This project aims to enhance environmental protection by evaluating PFAS leaching from landfills. It will identify the sources of PFAS and assess leachability using advanced tests. The findings will be published in scientific journals and are expected to improve landfill management practices and deepen our understanding of PFAS contamination in soils. The results are also expected to help decision making for a new Landfill Directive. In Sweden, there is a push to increase the recycling of critical metals. However, many metal-containing products also contain PFAS, which current recycling technologies do not address. This project will investigate new approaches to safely recycle metals from PFAS-containing materials. The anticipated outcome is a steady increase in the safe recycling of metals from these materials in the coming years. Associate Professor Ivan Carabante will work 50% within the R&D group at Ragn-Sells.