Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Novel Remediation Technique for PFAS contaminated Soil and Sediment
EPA Contract Number: 68HE0D18C0027Title: Novel Remediation Technique for PFAS contaminated Soil and Sediment
Investigators: Nayak, Subhadarshi
Small Business: QMetry Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2018) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Land Revitalization
Description:
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
In the Phase I feasibility study, the team used a bench-top set-up of electrode and carried our experiments using PFOS and PFOA-spiked soil and established the following findings:
1. The modified carbon, cement, and other minor constituents could be cast into a concrete electrode with adequate strength that can be used to mix soil and sediment.
2. The concrete composite was of high porosity (41%�53%) with micro-, meso- and macro-pores.
3. Modified carbon phases with minor addition of metal oxides improved conductance of the composite for adequate electrical performance (~ 1000 S/m).
4. The composite exhibited both hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites.
5. The time to equilibrate, as the metric for quantifying diffusion-based transport of PFAS, indicates that moderate mixing improved diffusion substantially (at least 2 order of magnitude in environmentally relevant concentration of PFOS and PFOA.
6. The electrode material exhibited high selective adsorption of PFOS and PFOA as seen in experiment with soil samples high (6.1%) as well as low (<1.0%) total organic carbon (TOC).
7. Electrochemical reaction transformed PFOS and PFOA into simple, smaller molecules in about 53 hours to threshold of detection. The initial concentration from nearly100 ng/kg to end of treatment concentration of about 5ng/kg.
8. Incorporation of electro-catalyst enhanced the reaction rate substantially (18-23 hours).
Conclusions:
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.