Key Facts

VITO and Wageningen Research will investigate PFAS pollution near a former paper factory in Willebroek, Belgium. The area faces contamination from multiple sources, including airborne PFAS emissions from the factory. Local authorities need a clearer picture of how these pollutants spread and impact the environment to develop effective remediation strategies. VITO will combine an air quality model with a soil leaching model to track PFAS movement in air and soil. WENR will focus on how PFAS interact with soil, and how they are taken up by plants. By integrating these models and expertise, we aim to improve understanding of PFAS contamination patterns. The framework will also help authorities to test different scenarios to support effective remediation strategies.

Industrial site

PFAS

Soil, air & plants

Process

Adsorption and transport of ionisable substances as PFAS. Atmospheric PFAS input to soil. Plant uptake of PFAS and other ionisable organic pollutants.

Actions and expected results

• Simulating PFAS emissions, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition over a large area using the IFDM model.
• Incorporating simulated PFAS deposition into a soil leaching model to refine boundary conditions and improve accuracy.
• Enhancing soil leaching models by better representing PFAS adsorption, considering their surfactant properties.
• Improving the parameterization of PFAS behavior in plant uptake models.

Challenges

• PFAS consist of over 6000 individual molecules, each with unique properties. A key challenge is identifying the most relevant PFAS for study and determining the necessary parameters for accurate modeling.
• Ensuring accurate model parameterization with a limited amount of available measurement data.
• Identifying and distinguishing PFAS contamination from multiple sources, including fires, diffuse pollution, and leakages.

Partners involved