Influence of Particulate Amendments on TCE Reductive Dechlorination in the Presence of PFAS: Laboratory and Field Studies

07.01.2022 bis 07.01.2025

The project goal is to determine whether powdered-activated carbon (PAC) can be used to treat comingled PFAS and TCE plumes in groundwater at contaminated sites. Although PAC technology is well established as a treatment approach for chlorinated solvent and petroleum hydrocarbon sites, there are no data demonstrating short- or long-term biodegradation once adsorbed (it has been more of an assumption by activated carbon vendors). In addition, it is unclear how this technology will affect the sorption and potential degradation processes for chlorinated ethenes and hydrocarbons in the presence of PFAS.

It is expected that this study will provide the global groundwater remediation science community with a cost-effective solution for promoting complete reductive dechlorination at chloroethene contaminated sites where bioremediation failed due to the presence of PFASs and will stabilize PFASs in the soil, as to prevent them from migrating off-site. The performance and limitation of this remediation approach will be determined for systems representative of fire training/crash sites co-contaminated with PFASs and chlorinated ethenes. Ultimately, the data will allow site managers to reduce risk by applying synergistic remediation technologies for mixed contaminants at various types of contaminated groundwater sites.