
PROJECT DETAILS
- Project No 3052
- Project Name crcCARE: Water Industry Consortium research program
- Lead Organisation Water Research Australia
- Completion Year 2025
Project Description
WaterRA is leading a Water Industry Consortium (WIC) to deliver a research program through the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (crcCARE). crcCARE is delivering the following three projects for the WIC:
- Review of literature and industry experience: Fate and transport of PFAS throughout the water and wastewater treatment chain. (complete)
- PhD project (WaterRA# 4974): Fate and risk of pharmaceuticals in land-applied biosolids. (ongoing)
- Study into PFAS distribution and retention in surface soil and vadose zone environments at selected PFAS-impacted sites subjected to recycled water applications. (ongoing)
Fate and transport of PFAS throughout the water and wastewater treatment chains (available now to download)
This report explores the fate and transport of PFAS across water and wastewater treatment systems, comparing Australian regulations to global standards. It identifies PFAS sources entering treatment facilities and examines how various chemical and physical processes, such as sorption and volatilisation, influence PFAS behaviour and release into the environment. The report also reviews PFAS ecotoxicity, focusing on impacts on algae, plants, and soil organisms.
Additionally, it provides a comprehensive evaluation of PFAS removal technologies, outlining their strengths, limitations, and suitability for different scenarios. Insights gathered from industry interviews are included, alongside a discussion of knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research directions.