A new research project led by Carollo Engineers aims to determine whether powdered activated carbon (PAC) can provide a cost-effective option for removing PFAS from treated wastewater effluent, helping water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) prepare for evolving regulations.

The 16-month study, funded through The Water Research Foundation Project 5388, Efficacy for PAC for PFAS Removal in Wastewater Effluent, will evaluate the performance of PAC in wastewater applications and develop guidance and decision-support tools for utilities considering the technology.

While activated carbon has been widely studied for PFAS treatment in drinking water and water reuse applications, researchers note that wastewater presents additional challenges. Organic matter, suspended solids and competing compounds in treated effluent can reduce PFAS adsorption efficiency, making it more difficult to predict treatment performance.

The project will assess multiple PAC products through bench-scale jar testing using wastewater samples collected from participating utilities across the U.S. and Canada. Researchers will evaluate PFAS removal at different doses before and after secondary and tertiary treatment using a combination of utility testing capabilities and Carollo's Water Applied Research Center (Water ARC).

According to Carollo, the study is intended to generate wastewater-specific performance data while providing guidance on infrastructure requirements, operational considerations and treatment costs. The project will also identify research needs and next steps for scaling PAC treatment to pilot and full-scale applications.

Upon completion, the research team will publish a guidance report, fact sheet and cost and performance estimating tool to help utilities, engineers and regulators evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of PAC for PFAS removal. Findings will also be shared through a Water Research Foundation webcast and industry conference presentations.