U.S. Research Project Evaluates PFAS Removal Effectiveness of Home Water Treatment Systems

Wedoany.com Report on Mar 3rd, Under the guidance of Dr. Riley Mulhern, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, a study on the effectiveness of home water treatment systems in removing fluorinated organic compounds such as PFAS is advancing. Funded by the Water Quality Research Foundation, this project will be conducted in collaboration with communities of private well users whose groundwater has been contaminated by the historical use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Mulhern stated, "Repeatedly sampling the same system over time and correlating the data with the volume of water treated is particularly important for understanding real-world performance."

The project will begin with sampling existing home water treatment systems in affected households, followed by a longitudinal study involving the installation and monitoring of certified point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) systems in high-risk homes. The research will also assess the removal of other fluorinated organic compounds in groundwater that may not be captured by current PFAS reduction methods, as these methods only test a portion of the total organic fluorine. Mulhern noted that measuring a broader class of organic fluorine through home water treatment systems will increase confidence in these products' ability to treat the overall category of PFAS.

With extensive experience in field-based water quality research, community engagement, and POU systems, Mulhern is the lead author of the only peer-reviewed longitudinal field study conducted in the U.S. to date on the effectiveness of POU filters for PFAS. The findings from this study will support evidence-based decision-making for communities and individuals nationwide to reduce exposure to PFAS in household tap water, especially for communities relying on private wells near contaminated sites. By evaluating the long-term performance of home water treatment systems under real-world conditions, the project aims to provide a scientific basis for public health recommendations regarding the use of home filters.