PFAS Concentrations in Municipal Solid Waste and Fluxes to Landfills

Grantees: S Zemba – Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc., E Hewitt – Stony Brook University, M Estabrooks – Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc., F de La Cruz – University of North Florida, N Nigro – Pace Labs

Amount: $199,970

Project Duration: 2 years

The research addresses the growing challenge of PFAS contamination in the solid waste system, particularly the role landfills play as receiving points for PFAS that originate in everyday products. Because PFAS are widely embedded across materials, they enter municipal solid waste streams and accumulate in landfills, where they are now being detected in leachate at concentrations exceeding regulatory thresholds. The core problem is a lack of detailed understanding of which waste components contribute PFAS, how those substances move into leachate and landfill gas, and whether landfills ultimately act as long-term containment systems or ongoing sources of environmental release. 

To address this, the study proposes a detailed characterization of PFAS across municipal solid waste streams. It will measure PFAS concentrations and leachability across a wide range of waste categories, investigate how precursor compounds in materials like sludge transform into PFAS, and estimate how much PFAS is entering a typical landfill. The research also includes evaluating landfill gas for specific PFAS-related compounds and testing a new analytical method that could serve as a screening tool for detecting PFAS in waste. This work builds on prior studies and leverages ongoing waste characterization efforts, with samples collected, sorted into dozens of categories, and analyzed using established EPA methods alongside additional targeted assays to better understand both known and precursor PFAS compounds. 

The study expects to identify the primary sources of PFAS within the waste stream, quantify how these sources contribute to PFAS found in leachate and landfill gas, and provide screening-level estimates of total PFAS loading into landfills. It also aims to clarify whether landfills can effectively sequester PFAS over time on a compound-specific basis, which remains an open question. 

In practical terms, the findings could inform more targeted PFAS management strategies by identifying which materials contribute most significantly to contamination, supporting efforts to reduce PFAS at the source through approaches like extended producer responsibility. The research could also guide landfill operators and regulators in understanding the limits and capabilities of landfills as containment systems, while advancing tools and methods for detecting PFAS in waste streams, ultimately helping the industry make more informed decisions about monitoring, treatment, and long-term environmental protection.