Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Alaska PFAS Remediation Facility Feasibility Study
EPA Grant Number: EM84053201Title: Alaska PFAS Remediation Facility Feasibility Study
Investigators: Barnes, David L , Dev, Subhabrata
Institution: University of Alaska - Fairbanks
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025 (Extended to September 30, 2026)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2022 through September 30,2023
Project Amount: $2,000,000
RFA: Congressionally Directed Spending (2022)
Research Category: PFAS Detection , Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , Drinking Water , Human Health , Water , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
As of 14-August-2023, there are 465 known sites contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Alaska (ADEC 2023). Many of these sites are in urban locations or on military bases. However, a number are in remote locations that have limited power supply and are accessible only by air or by barge. These conditions present constraints on how responsible parties and regulators address PFAS contamination at these sites. Beyond excavating and barging contaminated soil to the nearest disposal facility (Arlington, Oregon) at great expense, the options for treating PFAS contaminated soils are limited due to the unavailability of an effective in-situ treatment process. Moreover, the effectiveness of available treatment methods, such as immobilization of PFAS in contaminated soils, in Alaska’s unique environment are largely unknown. Complicating the impact of PFAS contamination in Alaska is the lack of analytical capability in Alaska to measure PFAS compounds in contaminated soil and waters. The near absence of laboratory testing capability necessitates shipping samples to testing laboratories in the contiguous United States, which can be costly and logistically challenging. The State of Alaska has identified a great need for a comprehensive strategy to address the PFAS contaminated sites and for the analytical capability to measure PFAS compounds in soil and water, both for sample testing and for furthering our understanding of the mobility and treatability of these compounds in Alaska’s extreme environment. The three objectives of this project are: (1) Evaluate effective PFAS contaminated soil and groundwater treatment options for use in Alaska, (2) Work with state agencies to develop a strategy for treating PFAS contaminated soil, surface water, and groundwater in urban and remote areas in Alaska, and (3) Establish a laboratory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Water and Environmental Research Center for analysis of PFAS compounds in water and soil.
Progress Summary:
Work towards Objective (1) includes the design of an Alaska PFAS contaminated sites database and the ongoing entry of data into this database. The completed database will be a critical source of information as we evaluate different possible remedial strategies for Alaska’s PFAS contaminated sites. Under Objective (1) progress has also been made on a literature review of possible PFAS contaminated soils and groundwater treatment methods that are applicable for cold regions. An additional task under Objective (1) includes testing PFAS immobilization agents used to slow or halt the migration of PFAS compounds in contaminated soil under soil freezing and thawing conditions. The hypothesis for this investigation is as follows: The amount of PFAS mass retained by PFAS immobilization soil amendments does not decrease when contaminated soil undergoes cyclic soil freezing and thawing. Progress towards testing this hypothesis includes methodology development and design and fabrication of the cell to be used to enact top-down freezing and thawing. Testing is planned to begin in early 2024. Funding for this project was not received until May 2023. Hence, progress on all the tasks reflects this later start date as opposed to the period of performance start date.
Tasks listed under Objective (2) are not scheduled to begin until May 2024. However, progress has been made on coordinating with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). The ADEC is critical to the development of a strategy for treating PFAS contamination in Alaska.
Progress on Objective (3) includes the acquisition of a ultra-high performance liquid chromatography instrument with a triple quadrupole mass spectrophotometer and associated instruments necessary for a PFAS analysis laboratory. Laboratory space at the University of Alaska Fairbank’s Water and Environmental Research Laboratory is currently being renovated to accommodate the new instrumentation. The new laboratory is planned to be operational by early 2024.
Future Activities:
The development of University of Alaska Fairbanks’s PFAS laboratory will be completed, and the lab will be operational during this next reporting period. With the PFAS laboratory completed, the testing of PFAS immobilization amendments will be completed during this next reporting period. A working group comprised of representatives from state agencies will be formed to assist in the development of a strategy for treatment of PFAS contaminated sites and progress will be made on the state strategy.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.