Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers
Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) migrate into the environment through various means, e.g., soil-amendment impurities and ambient atmospheric deposition, potentially resulting in vegetative uptake and migration to groundwater. Existing approaches for modeling sorption of PFAS commo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58040-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849726333674848256 |
|---|---|
| author | Marina G. Evich James Ferreira Oluwaseun Adeyemi Paul A. Schroeder Jason C. Williams Brad Acrey Diana Burdette Malcolm Grieve Michael P. Neill Kevin Simmons Brian C. Striggow Samuel B. Cohen Mike Cyterski Donna A. Glinski W. Matthew Henderson Du Yung Kim John W. Washington |
| author_facet | Marina G. Evich James Ferreira Oluwaseun Adeyemi Paul A. Schroeder Jason C. Williams Brad Acrey Diana Burdette Malcolm Grieve Michael P. Neill Kevin Simmons Brian C. Striggow Samuel B. Cohen Mike Cyterski Donna A. Glinski W. Matthew Henderson Du Yung Kim John W. Washington |
| author_sort | Marina G. Evich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) migrate into the environment through various means, e.g., soil-amendment impurities and ambient atmospheric deposition, potentially resulting in vegetative uptake and migration to groundwater. Existing approaches for modeling sorption of PFAS commonly treat soil as an undifferentiated homogeneous medium, with distribution constants (e.g., Kd, Koc) generated empirically using surface soils. Considering the limited mineral variety expected in weathered geologic media, PFAS mobility can be better understood by accounting for predictable mineral assemblages that are ubiquitously distributed in US soils. Here we explore the role of minerals and electrostatic sorption in controlling PFAS mobility in subsurface settings at contaminated agricultural sites by measuring geochemical parameters and PFAS, and calculating pH-dependent mineral surface charges through full soil and aquifer columns. These data suggest subsurface mobility of short-chain PFAS largely is controlled by aluminum-oxide mineral(oid) electrostatic sorption, whereas long-chain PFAS mobility is controlled by organic matter and air-water interfacial area. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac4cb1a90d5f4c0d96d0d6cefedc003a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ac4cb1a90d5f4c0d96d0d6cefedc003a2025-08-20T03:10:13ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-58040-wMineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifersMarina G. Evich0James Ferreira1Oluwaseun Adeyemi2Paul A. Schroeder3Jason C. Williams4Brad Acrey5Diana Burdette6Malcolm Grieve7Michael P. Neill8Kevin Simmons9Brian C. Striggow10Samuel B. Cohen11Mike Cyterski12Donna A. Glinski13W. Matthew Henderson14Du Yung Kim15John W. Washington16USEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Region 4Department of Geology, University of GeorgiaDepartment of Geology, University of GeorgiaSouth Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Land and Waste ManagementUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences DivisionUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingUSEPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and ModelingAbstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) migrate into the environment through various means, e.g., soil-amendment impurities and ambient atmospheric deposition, potentially resulting in vegetative uptake and migration to groundwater. Existing approaches for modeling sorption of PFAS commonly treat soil as an undifferentiated homogeneous medium, with distribution constants (e.g., Kd, Koc) generated empirically using surface soils. Considering the limited mineral variety expected in weathered geologic media, PFAS mobility can be better understood by accounting for predictable mineral assemblages that are ubiquitously distributed in US soils. Here we explore the role of minerals and electrostatic sorption in controlling PFAS mobility in subsurface settings at contaminated agricultural sites by measuring geochemical parameters and PFAS, and calculating pH-dependent mineral surface charges through full soil and aquifer columns. These data suggest subsurface mobility of short-chain PFAS largely is controlled by aluminum-oxide mineral(oid) electrostatic sorption, whereas long-chain PFAS mobility is controlled by organic matter and air-water interfacial area.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58040-w |
| spellingShingle | Marina G. Evich James Ferreira Oluwaseun Adeyemi Paul A. Schroeder Jason C. Williams Brad Acrey Diana Burdette Malcolm Grieve Michael P. Neill Kevin Simmons Brian C. Striggow Samuel B. Cohen Mike Cyterski Donna A. Glinski W. Matthew Henderson Du Yung Kim John W. Washington Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers Nature Communications |
| title | Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| title_full | Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| title_fullStr | Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| title_short | Mineralogical controls on PFAS and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| title_sort | mineralogical controls on pfas and anthropogenic anions in subsurface soils and aquifers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58040-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marinagevich mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT jamesferreira mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT oluwaseunadeyemi mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT paulaschroeder mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT jasoncwilliams mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT bradacrey mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT dianaburdette mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT malcolmgrieve mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT michaelpneill mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT kevinsimmons mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT briancstriggow mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT samuelbcohen mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT mikecyterski mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT donnaaglinski mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT wmatthewhenderson mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT duyungkim mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers AT johnwwashington mineralogicalcontrolsonpfasandanthropogenicanionsinsubsurfacesoilsandaquifers |