PFAS is the emerging chemical of concern in waste disposal. We are seeing states and EPA making PFAS monitoring and strategy a major goal. However, we are still early in the process of regulating PFAS and PFAS contaminated material for disposal.
With PFAS not currently regulated by RCRA or TSCA, can we find PFAS wastestreams in e-Manifest? The answer is YES. However, the results will not be comprehensive until there is a common identifier available through DOT, RCRA, CERCLA or TSCA.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS is a group of chemicals that were used in wide variety of applications and industries including non-stick cookware, pizza boxes and fire suppression. They are very persistent chemicals that do not breakdown in the environment and may cause a number of adverse effects to human health and the environment. For more information read EPA’s Basic Information on PFAS.
How To Identify PFAS in e-Manifest?
So how exactly can we identify PFAS wastestreams in e-Manifest? PFAS does not have its own EPA waste code, UN number for shipping or state hazardous waste code.
One of the great tools now available to us in e-Manifest is the ability to search the shipping descriptions used in manifests. We can search these shipping descriptions for keywords to identify PFAS shipments.
We will post our queries below and we can see what we can find in e-Manifest.
Sub-Sectors Used Instead of Shipper Name
Instead of showing shipper names in our charts, we use the Shipper’s NAICS Sub-Sector or other NAICS grouping.
Shameless plug: If you would like to access to shipper names, contact information or more data related to PFAS or any other e-Manifest or environmental data, please reach out to us at Concertive.
“PFAS”
Let’s take a look if we just search the overall term “PFAS” to see if we can identify PFAS in e-Manifest.
We are definitely seeing growth for this wastestream in both the Chemical Manufacturing and National Security Sub-Sectors.
“PFOS”
Next up, let’s try “PFOS” (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid.)
We see here primary volume coming from “Warehousing and Storage” and then beginning in Q3 2020 some from “National Security.”
“PFOA”
“Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8, is another man-made chemical. It has been used in the process of making Teflon and similar chemicals” (cancer.org).
This keyword has not been used in many manifest shipping descriptions. We see there may have been a small project in Q1 2020 for this material.
“GenX” and “PFBS”
GenX chemicals were the next phase of PFAS chemicals where PFOA was not used to create the final product. PFBS was used to replace PFOA.
At present, only extremely small volumes showed up for these searches (less than 1 ton.) For more information about GenX and PFBS visit EPA’s page regarding assessment of their toxicity. We did not graph these results because there was so little data.
AFFF
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) is one of the most common PFAS wastes requiring disposal. For this search we are going to use “AFFF”, “Aqueous Film Forming Foam” and “Fire Fighting Foam”.
We definitely see more volume for this keyword. It appears we have a project beginning in Q3 2020 and volumes are trending upwards.
Combined Keyword Analysis
Being based in South Louisiana, we like to throw everything together in a pot and make a gumbo. Let’s try that out…not in a Teflon-coated pot, of course…with all of our keywords.
PFAS Map
Below is a map of all sites shipping the keywords in our previous analyses.
PFAS Volumes
The below chart has all of the previous charts added together for a more composite look at total volumes for these PFAS search terms.
PFAS – Top 10 Industries
Lastly, below we look at the top 10 industries shipping our PFAS search terms. National Security (Defense Department) leads the pack by far accounting for more than all other industries combined.
More Information
EPA PFAS Page
Environmental Working Group – PFAS Contaminated Sites Map