Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Sorbent-Amended Caps for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Sediment
EPA Grant Number: SV840421Title: Sorbent-Amended Caps for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Sediment
Investigators: Lampert, David , Sandhu, Amandeep , Shapiro, Matthew , Mohammadi, Farzad , Kanagaraj, Dharini , Frampton, Mary , Zahner, Adelina , Tekogul, Irem
Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: November 1, 2022 through October 31, 2024
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2022 through October 31,2023
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: 17th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2022) Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The widespread existence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment represents an emerging issue due to their stability, bioaccumulation potential, and risks to human and ecological well-being. Areas where PFAS have been released into the environment have contaminated soils and sediments that now pose bioaccumulation risks. One approach for risk reduction is to contain the contamination in-situ to prevent exposure. Previous research into assessment and remediation of contaminated sites has demonstrated that in-situ containment and stabilization for pollutants that are resistant to degradation is often the best strategy. Ex-situ approaches require pumping and treating large quantities of material, which is prohibitively expensive, and managing additional residuals requiring disposal and containment. Developing cost effective in-situ treatment methods for PFAS is a critical priority.
The hypothesis underlying this investigation is that sequestration of PFAS in contaminated sediments is a cost-effective approach to reduce environmental risks. The project seeks to provide new insight into the efficacy of PFAS remediation using sediment capping technologies. Capping is a proven approach for contaminated sediment management, but there have been limited efforts to assess capping in PFAS-contaminated areas. While there is existing literature on PFAS sorption to various materials, there have been few efforts to extend these data for capping and in-situ sequestration. This project is developing a framework for remediation of PFAS-contaminated sediments and providing insight into the costs and benefits of alternative materials for sediment caps. The results are expected to be of value to communities that are at risk of exposure to PFAS. The long-term goal of this project is to develop a sorbent-enhanced sand capping technology for PFAS-contaminated sediments to reduce mobilization and bioaccumulation.
Phase I of the project created the infrastructure to begin the development of capping as a technology and demonstrated the potential efficacy of sorbent-amended caps for remediation of PFAS-contaminated sediments. Phase II research builds on this research by increasing the suite of PFAS in experiments, performing studies on field-contaminated materials, assessing different approaches to implement the sorbents into sand caps, incorporating pore water upwelling into experiments, adding bioturbation processes into experiments, assessing the potential costs and benefits of sorbent-amended caps in real contaminated areas, and gathering additional information of the current policy landscape for PFAS-contaminated areas. The objectives for Phase II are to: (1) conduct laboratory-scale experiments to examine the effectiveness of sediment caps for PFAS containment that include pore water upwelling and bioturbation, (2) extend PFAS analytical methods to include a larger suite of compounds, (3) characterize PFAS migration through caps using fate and transport models, (4) perform a remedial design investigation for a PFAS-contaminated area, and (5) assess the political and economic feasibility of local and state PFAS-related regulations.
Progress Summary:
An interdisciplinary student team from engineering, biology, and social sciences has been developed to work to address this critical sustainability challenge, which will provide important educational benefits to the students, communities affected by PFAS, and entities that manage PFAS contaminated sites. The project benefits people living in areas historically exposed to PFAS, many of whom are members of disadvantaged communities.
Objective #1. The team has constructed a series of lab-scale microcosms systems of riverine environments to test the efficacy of capping materials for containing PFAS-contaminated sediments. Soil collected from a forested location and spiked with PFAS has been used to analyze PFAS fate, transport, and bioaccumulation. Capping materials including sand, granular activated carbon, biochar, and the Fluorosorb are being analyzed for effectiveness. The next series of experiments is in development that is assessing the effects of pore water upwelling and bioturbation on results.
Objective #2. An analytical method to determine PFAS concentrations in sediment pore water is being developed using LC/MS. Analytical standards for the three target compounds have been procured that are being used in the method development. The method has been developed based on EPA Method 533. Peak separation for the three target compounds has been demonstrated, and calibration curves have been developed. The detection limit and other quality assurance protocols have been established for seven PFAS at this time. Pore water sampling devices commonly called "peepers" have been designed to enable the collection of water at different depths within a cap have been constructed and tested to assess the migration of PFAS compounds through sediment capping systems. The peepers have been demonstrated to capture PFAS dynamics in sediment caps.
Objective #3. The assessment of PFAS movement within the sediment caps is being analyzed using the CapSim software platform. CapSim is designed specifically to analyze the fate and transport of pollutants in sediments and sediment caps by simulating the processes of pore water advection, diffusion, dispersion, bioturbation, and sorption of pollutants onto sediments and capping materials. Key properties of the sediments, PFAS compounds, and the capping materials have been compiled for use in simulations. Simulations have been performed to predict the migration of the three compounds in each experiment. The model has been used to determine in-situ properties of various PFAS in the site and make predictions about the long-term effectiveness of capping.
Objective #4. The project team has been collecting data on PFAS concentrations, groundwater upwelling rates, bioturbation, and sorption characteristics of sediments at Milwaukee Harbor that will be used to develop a preliminary design with results from the other objectives.
Objective #5. A student from the Institute of Design has been recruited for the project that has compiled existing literature on PFAS regulations in various media. A series of interviews with key stakeholders is being conducted to gather information on the current landscape of PFAS regulations. The results are being compiled into a publication on PFAS policy implications for contaminated areas.
Future Activities:
The results to date have demonstrated that the sediment microcosm systems can be used to assess various capping alternatives. The analytical methods, including the LC/MS analysis and the peeper pore water samplers, can be used to monitor the performance of sediment caps for PFAS. The CapSim modeling platform can be used to interpret data from lab experiments and predict the effectiveness of various caps in the field. The most cost-effective sorbent capping material remains unclear, although Fluorosorb appears to have good promise.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 6 publications | 1 publications in selected types | All 1 journal articles |
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Atoufi HD, Lampert DJ. Analysis of a passive sampling device to assess the behavior of per‐and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sediments. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2023;42(10):2171-2183. |
SV840421 (2023) 68HE0D18C0017 (Final) SU840180 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Sediments, soils, adsorption, chemical transport, bioavailability, remediation, cleanup, environmental chemistry, monitoringRelevant Websites:
IIT News - Keeping our Water Clean Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase I:
Sorbent-Amended Caps for PFAS-Contaminated Sediments | Final ReportThe 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.