Water and soil impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges, impacting rural, suburban and urban communities across the globe. But how to remediate these “forever” chemicals without just moving the problem from one place to another is an open question, with many new technologies emerging but little reliable information to guide local decision-makers on the most effective strategies.
A new $7 million national research center led by Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.; www.mines.edu) aims to fill that information void and help move promising PFAS destruction technologies from the lab to the communities that need them most.
The PFAS Remedial Technology Engineering Center – the PFAS RiTE Center – will bring together academic researchers, industry leaders and engineering practitioners to serve as a national hub for the evaluation, validation and advancement of PFAS treatment technologies, with the mission to accelerate the deployment of effective treatment solutions. Funding for the center comes from the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), a program within the U.S. Department of War that focuses on environmental and energy challenges.
“With increasing regulatory pressure and widespread impacts at and from PFAS release sites, including those on military installations, the need for reliable, scalable and cost-effective remediation strategies has never been more urgent,” said principal investigator Chris Higgins, AMAX Distinguished Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. “The PFAS RiTE Center will provide decision-makers with the data they need to protect public health and the environment.”
PFASs are a large class of chemicals found in many consumer products, as well as in industrial products such as certain firefighting foam called aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). PFASs are also found in essential use applications such as in microelectronics, batteries and medical equipment.
Current treatment options often begin with a separation technique, using materials like activated carbon to remove PFASs from the contaminated water or soil. But that approach creates another problem – a super-concentrated PFAS waste stream that needs to be landfilled or, at best, incinerated.
A recent study in Nature Reviews led by Mines and North Carolina State University also raised questions about the airborne byproducts of PFAS destruction technologies. These products of incomplete destruction (PIDs) have the potential to be just as problematic – and difficult to remediate – as the so-called “forever chemicals” from which they are derived, researchers said.
“Our mission is complete destruction,” said Timothy Strathmann, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Mines. “We want to ensure the next generation of tools are not only effective, but also economical and energy efficient.”
The PFAS RiTE Center will develop and implement a rigorous, peer-reviewed protocol to assess the field performance readiness of both established and emerging technologies. Key activities include:
- Developing standardized evaluation frameworks and readiness assessment protocols
- Compiling comprehensive compendiums of current PFAS treatment technologies
- Identifying and addressing critical data gaps through bench- and pilot-scale testing
- Providing independent validation of technology performance
- Supporting commercialization pathways for promising innovations
Outputs will include accessible, web-based resources and actionable technology roadmaps that provide decision-makers with the tools and information needed to implement effective remediation strategies.
The PFAS RiTE Center’s academic partners are NC State, Texas Tech, University of Minnesota and Florida International University. Industry partners include Geosyntec, GSI Environmental, AECOM, CDM Smith and Jacobs.
The center will be soliciting formal information from developers of separation and destruction technologies starting later this year. In the meantime, interested technology developers can reach out to pfas@mines.edu to be added to the email list for updates from the center.