Relevant Key Words and Definitions | AAAS EPI Center
PFAS that have a sulfonic acid functional group (made up of a sulfur atom, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms — SO 3 H) and contain six or more carbons, or those that have a carboxylic acid functional group (made up of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms — COOH) and contain eight or more carbons. A membrane filtration method that uses nanometer-sized pores to filter water from a multitude of contaminants, such as organic matter, out of water. A complex mixture of organic compounds that are found in surface water and groundwater. Types of organic matter are tracked in drinking water applications as surrogates for treatability of contaminants, operational efficiency, and overall water quality.
Long-Chain PFAS
Nanofiltration (NF)
Organic Matter
Outfall
A place where a river, drain, or sewer empties into the sea, a river, or a lake.
A class of thousands of man-made compounds that contain within their molecular structure a chain of carbon atoms in which one or more of the carbon atoms is “perfluorinated,” meaning that other than its carbon-atom neighbors, it is bonded only to fluorine atoms (e.g., perfluorooctanesulfonic acid or C 8 HF 17 O 3 S) 1 . Length of time a chemical exists in the environment before being destroyed or transformed by natural processes. A form of powdered or pulverized carbon manufactured to adsorb soluble contaminants such as organics and PFAS. This product has high surface area per unit mass and ability to capture a large variety of contaminants. Compared to GAC, PAC uses smaller carbon particles and is considered a short-term treatment option for rapid, and sometimes intermittent, operation. A compound that can react or degrade (via biodegradation or environmental degradation) to produce another compound. The source that directly contributes PFAS to the environment (e.g., industrial dischargers, airfields using firefighting foam containing PFAS). The untreated water source (usually groundwater or a surface water source such as a reservoir) that is withdrawn for treatment at a drinking water treatment plant. An estimate of a daily exposure to the human population that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse health effects over a lifetime. A membrane filtration method that uses osmotic pressure to direct water to pass through a membrane and separate out a multitude of contaminants, such as salts.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Persistence
Powder Activated Carbon (PAC)
Precursor
Primary Source
Raw Water (Also referred to as Source Water)
Reference Dose
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
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