MRRA study finds resource recovery facilities destroy nearly all PFAS

A new, independent study commissioned by the Minneapolis-based Minnesota Resource Recovery Association (MRRA) found that modern resource recovery facilities destroy nearly all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through the waste-to-energy process.

The first-of-its-kind study was conducted by Barr Engineering Co. of Minneapolis after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requested data on sources of PFAS emissions as part of its PFAS Monitoring Plan.

The study evaluated three resource recovery facilities in the state representing a diverse range of sizes, operating conditions and air pollution control technologies. Researchers measured PFAS in air emission stack gas or ash, and they reviewed national data to understand the process PFAS undergo during the combustion process. 

As a result, the study found that waste-to-energy effectively destroys PFAS. Testing showed that high-temperature combustion destroys an average of 99.6 percent of PFAS in municipal solid waste processed at these facilities.

In addition, measured stack concentrations for five PFAS compounds showed levels 10 to 1,000 times lower than the Risk Assessment Advice Values set by the Minnesota Department of Health, demonstrating little to no health risk. Analysis of bottom and fly ash showed minimal remaining PFAS. 

Minnesota’s nine resource recovery facilities process more than one million tons of waste annually, MRRA says. This equates to nearly one-third of waste produced in the state.

“These results reinforce the valuable role resource recovery facilities play in Minnesota’s waste management system,” says Steve Vrchota, chair of the MRRA. “Our facilities play a critical role in managing trash to avoid landfilling. Based on the results of this study, we can confidently say that our processes effectively destroy the PFAS found in the trash that our facilities receive, advancing the difficult work of removing these chemicals from our air and groundwater.”