The entire PFAS group of substances places high demand on analytical methods for soil and groundwater, as well as on remediation and management strategies. PFAS are not biodegradable and have extreme thermal stability. Consequently, the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater is complex and often cannot be achieved using proportionate resources. Furthermore, traces of contaminants often remain in the environment.
At present, the only guaranteed method for the complete remediation of contaminated soil is thermal soil treatment at temperatures exceeding 1200 °C. Landfilling soil containing PFAS is theoretically possible, but merely shifts the problem elsewhere and entails high follow-up costs. Various methods for immobilising PFAS in soil are available for practical application. In Germany, the long-term safety of commercially available products has not been established, as there is currently insufficient experience with them.
Long-chain PFAS in the aqueous phase can be removed using activated carbon filters due to their good adsorption capacity. This is only possible to a limited extent for short-chain PFAS due to their high mobility. This means that activated carbon filters must be replaced much more frequently when dealing with short-chain PFAS contamination. In drinking water treatment, processes such as reverse osmosis and ion exchange in combination with activated carbon are well-established, but are costly.
Current standard sewage treatment plant technology is not capable of effectively removing PFAS from wastewater. These plants would need to be supplemented with treatment stages similar to those used in drinking water treatment, which would make treatment considerably more expensive. A guidance document on the remediation and management of PFAS contamination was produced as part of a UBA research project.