Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Analysis for Removing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Landfill Leachate with Foam Fractionation Technology

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.