Investigating the sources and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food waste compost

Abstract

Composting municipal food waste is a key strategy for beneficially reusing methane-producing waste that would otherwise occupy landfill space. However, land-applied compost can cycle per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) back into the food supply and the environment. We partnered with a pilot-scale windrow composting facility to investigate the sources and fate of 40 PFAS in food waste compost. A comparison of feedstock materials yielded concentrations of ∑PFAS under 1 ng g−1 in mulch and food waste and at 1380 ng g−1 in leachate from used compostable food contact materials. Concentrations of targeted ∑PFAS increased with compost maturity along the windrow (1.85–23.1 ng g−1) and in mature stockpiles of increasing curing age (12.6–84.3 ng g−1). Among 15 PFAS quantified in compost, short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) – C5 and C6 PFCAs in particular – led the increasing trend, suggesting biotransformation of precursor PFAS into these terminal PFAS through aerobic decomposition. Several precursor PFAS were also measured, including fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) and polyfluorinated phosphate diesters (PAPs). However, since most targeted analytical methods and proposed regulations prioritize terminal PFAS, testing fully matured compost would provide the most relevant snapshot of PFAS that could be land applied. In addition, removing co-disposed food contact materials from the FW feedstock onsite yielded only a 37 % reduction of PFAS loads in subsequent compost, likely due to PFAS leaching during co-disposal. Source-separation of food contact materials is currently the best management practice for meaningful reduction of PFAS in food waste composts intended for land application.