Fate and properties of alternative and unknown PFASs in the drinking water cycle and its significance for human exposure

1) To develop new analytical methods for determination of new known (e.g. PFECA, PFESA, HFPO-dimer and trimer acids, polyfluorinated acids) and unknown PFASs (such as polyfluorinated alkylsulfonates) in the drinking water production chains.

2) To investigate the occurrence and behaviour of alternative PFASs during drinking water treatment, by collecting samples from different sources of drinking water (groundwater, river bank filtrates, surface waters).

3) To assess the contribution of drinking water to the human exposure to alternative PFAS by calculating emission loads and testing various alternative PFASs for partitioning behaviour.

4) To assess the efficiency of emerging and alternative PFASs removal by new or marketable (commercially available) sorbents that are potentially relevant for water treatment, from which a operational decision tree can be devised for certain PFAS targets.

5) To assess the binding properties of emerging and alternative PFASs to key environmental substrates to improve the modelling of environmental distribution after emissions.