Biodegradation of Perfluorocarboxylic Acid in Landfill Leachate

Long-chain perfluoro carboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs), a subset of perfluorochemicals (PFCs), were identified in landfill leachate during the sampling period from June 2022 to July 2023. In this thesis, the exclusive focus is on the chemical degradation of PFCAs, omitting biological degradation experiments due to their persistent nature. The leachate analysis revealed a seasonal fluctuation in its chemical characteristics including nitrogen, phosphate, alkalinity, pH, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Interestingly, the selected C9 and C10 LC-PFCAs were consistently present in the leachate but did not show any significant seasonal variation. Concentrations of LC-PFCAs ranged from 100 ng/L to 800 ng/L. To assess the biodegradability of C9 and C10 PFCA in the leachate using native microorganisms, a bench-scale experiment was conducted. The microbial community exhibited biphasic growth when exposed to the specified PFCAs (10-100 mg/L) for 6 days. Notably, the C9 and C10 PFCAs displayed a biodegradation efficiency of up to 58% within this 6-day period.