PFAS in Minnesota: Concerns, Costs, and Partitioning

Per and poly-fluoro alkyl substances (PFAS) are attracting a lot of attention for their persistence and toxicity.  This presentation will provide a high-level overview of what makes environmental management of PFAS so challenging, including characteristics and cost considerations. Their persistence and mobility make them very expensive to remove from environmental media and waste management streams, which complicates regulation. In addition, the large number of PFAS and their ubiquity in products challenges traditional risk assessment frameworks. We need to consider exposure routes and management costs when making decisions related to PFAS treatment and regulations.  The presentation will end with recent results reporting partitioning coefficients of PFAS in the Mississippi River near the Twin Cities, and potential implications for management and treatment..