Fate of Fluorinated Compounds in Wastewater and Wastewater Treatment Plants

Fluorinated compounds are utilized in several industrial processes and mining activities where they find their way into wastewater and sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. The presence of these compounds in wastewater streams poses significant environmental and health risks that should not be underestimated due to their high resistance to biological and chemical degradation. Various techniques, such as nanofiltration, ion exchange, chemical precipitation, adsorption, etc., have been employed to remove these pollutants from waste water, but limitations identified with these methods cannot be overlooked. Microorganisms offers an alternative approach in the elimination of fluoride from wastewater due to their cell wall composition contain amines, carboxylates, and phosphate. The various enzymatic mechanisms utilized by microorganisms in the removal of fluorinated compounds from wastewater are discussed. The application of microalgal-bacterial systems in fluorine removal and the importance of mitigating fluorine pollution in wastewater is also highlighted.