Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Remediation of PFAS Contaminated Soils and Sediments
EPA Grant Number: SU840140Title: Remediation of PFAS Contaminated Soils and Sediments
Investigators: Meegoda, Jay N , Rodriguez-Freire, Lucia , Kewalrmani, Jitendra , Wang, Boran , Marsh, Richard , McGlew, Brian
Institution: New Jersey Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Spatz, Kyle
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large and complex class of anthropogenic compounds produced and distributed since the 1950 in the global market. The unique physicochemical properties of PFAS render them toxic, bio-accumulative, and persistent in the environment. PFAS have been detected in soils and sediments from exposure to PFAS impacted media, e.g., landfill leachate or biosolids, direct contaminated discharge, and contaminant transport from atmospheric deposition. Soils and sediments can act as secondary sources of PFAS for groundwater and surface water, leading to bioaccumulation in micro-invertebrates, other organisms in the aquatic food web, and ultimately humans. There are currently no proven technologies that can degrade the PFAS in the soil and sediments in a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, and energy-efficient manner. Hence the overall objective of this project was to explore the technical feasibility of using ultrasound to degrade perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), specifically perfluorooctane-sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in soils and sediments.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
There are limited number of techniques to remediate PFAS contaminated soils, and most of the methods are based on the PFAS immobilization strategy. A new and innovative treatment method for achieving concurrent treatment and destruction of PFAS in soil was evaluated in this research. This project was based on existing science for degradation of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water using acoustic cavitation. This is a novel concept where energy delivery was optimized and implemented to remediate PFAS contaminated soils and sediments. In Phase I of the project, the research team used a bench-scale sonication reactor to investigate the feasibility of the ultrasound technology to remediate PFAS (specifically PFOS and PFOA) contaminated soil and sediments. The correlation of the sonolytic degradation of PFAS with sono-chemical characteristics including reactive species generation and heat distribution was observed using KI dosimetry and calorimetry. This alternative treatment approach was expected to provide an efficient and sustainable approach for the treatment of emerging contaminants from affected soil and sediments. First the PFOA and PFOS sorption by different soils with soil organic matter (SOM), clay contents and soil type were compared. Results showed that both clay and SOM were found to be PFAS sorbents, via hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between soils and PFAS. However, SOM was found to be more important when compared to the clay content for PFAS sorption. Then, the PFAS contaminated soil was subjected to ultrasound treatment. The test results showed that PFAS concentrations in artificially contaminated soil, can be significantly reduced by the ultrasound treatment. In addition, our data showed that desorbed PFOA and PFOS easily resorbed onto sediments with low organic carbon content in the aqueous phase. Finally, our results also showed that the sediment characteristics, specifically the fine content, clay content and soil organic matter, have a significant impact on sediment sorption capacity and the PFAS treatment using ultrasound.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 1 publications | 1 publications in selected types | All 1 journal articles |
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Kewalramani J, Wang B, Marsh R, Meegoda J, Ereire L. Coupled high and low-frequency ultrasound remediation of PFAS-contaminated soils. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2022;88106063 |
SU840140 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Emerging Contaminants, PFAS, PFOA, PFOS, Soil Remediation, Sediment Remediation, Sonication, Acoustic Cavitation, Sono-chemical Degradation, Pyrolysis
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.