Location: Water Management and Conservation Research
Project Number: 2020-13660-009-015-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2025
End Date: Sep 30, 2027
Objective:
Our study aims to fill this gap by investigating the dynamics of MP and PFAS interactions in wastewater, reclaimed water and soil matrices in agroecosystems.
Approach:
We will comprehensively investigate the PFAS / MP interactions under different components of matrices by keeping the conditions environmentally relevant. These environmental matrices consist of wastewater, treated wastewater, and soil systems that have varying ionic strengths and compositions. By investigating these interactions, we aim to provide an in-depth understanding of how environmental conditions affect the behavior, distribution and fate of the PFAS and MPs in an agroecosystem irrigated with reclaimed water. Firstly, we will conduct adsorption experiments of PFAS onto MPs and investigate the effect of ionic strength and composition, pH and NOM in the treated wastewater. Moreover, we will introduce the bioflocs into the experimental matrices to analyze the selective pathway of PFAS between MPs and bioflocs. Then, we will continue with the desorption of PFAS from MPs in reclaimed water and soil systems. Water movement in the soil will carry PFAS on the MP surface closer to the root zone. Salinity and pH changes in soil will affect the release of PFAS on the MP surface. This release of PFAS in the soil closer to the root zone might affect the plant uptake.