Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing analysis for removing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances from landfill leachate with foam fractionation Technology
By Gengyang Li, Yifei Wang, Qingguo Huang, Mason Peng, and Ke Li
ACS ES&T Water
October 22, 2025
DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.5c00381
Understanding the environmental impacts and economic costs of treatment technologies is essential for developing sustainable strategies for managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). This study focuses on the treatment of PFAS-contaminated landfill leachate using foam fractionation (FF) technology. A parametrized life cycle assessment and life cycle costing analysis were conducted to evaluate the performance of one-stage and three-stage FF systems. Full-scale operational data and EPA design models were used to assess environmental and economic impacts based on a functional unit of treating 1000 m3 of PFAS-contaminated landfill leachate. The global warming potential was estimated at 818 kg CO2 eq for the one-stage system with 20% foam fraction, 357 kg CO2 eq for the one-stage system with 1% foam fraction, and 402 kg CO2 eq for the three-stage system with 1% foam fraction. Life cycle costs were estimated at $77.4 and $110.6 per functional unit for the one-stage and three-stage systems, respectively, using the net present value method. Sensitivity and scale-up analyses were also performed to evaluate the influence of operational parameters and system configurations on both environmental and economic outcomes.
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