www.wateronline.com Open in urlscan Pro
20.185.12.70  Public Scan

Form analysis
4 forms found in the DOM

GET /search

<form method="get" class="form-inline nav-search pr-0" action="/search">
  <input class="form-control-sm" name="keyword" type="search" maxlength="250" placeholder="Search" aria-label="Search">
  <button type="submit" class="btn-sm btn-dark">
    <i class="fas fa-search fa-sm"></i>
  </button>
</form>

POST /useremailonly/register?referringlink=document-body-bait

<form method="post" action="/useremailonly/register?referringlink=document-body-bait" novalidate="novalidate">
  <div class="validation-summary validation-summary-valid" style="display: none;" data-valmsg-summary="true">
    <ul>
      <li style="display:none"></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <h3 class="card-title">Like what you are reading?</h3>
  <h5 class="card-subtitle mb-2 text-muted">Sign up for our free newsletter</h5>
  <input type="hidden" name="Source" value="EmailReg-DocumentBodyBait-WOL)">
  <div class="form-group row no-gutters">
    <div class="col-sm-8">
      <input type="text" class="form-control email-input-consent-check-trigger" placeholder="Email" maxlength="100" data-val="true" data-val-email="The Email field is not a valid e-mail address." data-val-required="The Email field is required."
        id="Email" name="Email" value="">
      <span class="field-validation-valid" data-valmsg-for="Email" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span>
    </div>
    <div class="pl-2 col-sm">
      <button type="submit" class="btn vm-button">SIGN ME UP</button>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="form-row">
    <div class="col-sm-12">
      <div class="form-check">
        <label class="form-check-label">
          <div class="nl-consent-container" style="display: none;">
            <strong>
              <input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" data-val-range="You must accept the Terms And Conditions." data-val-range-max="True" data-val-range-min="True" data-val-required="The Consent To Terms And Conditions field is required."
                id="NlConsent" name="NlConsent" type="checkbox" value="true"> I agree to the <a href="/static/legal">Terms</a>
            </strong>
            <span class="validation-message field-validation-valid" data-valmsg-for="NlConsent" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span>
          </div>
          <div class="client-consent-container" style="display: none;">
            <strong>
              <input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" id="ClientConsent" name="ClientConsent" type="checkbox" value="true"> I agree to the <a href="/static/privacy">Privacy Statement</a>
            </strong>
          </div>
        </label>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <input name="__RequestVerificationToken" type="hidden" value="CfDJ8L4Tx_kqk_hOqQdWmadsynTo5-3lTe700CmWtLc_LJDWAcli46RTr_h-eck0f21rJBhLIHVE4qUbR72Bsf0xP-remdWyvgbfmDowAabqLlQHB8C8e2ezAwl2Ng8ldT-q3U6tvVA3Uht0KkTftcHBld4">
</form>

POST /useremailonly/register?referringlink=sidebar-widget

<form class="vm-email-signup-form" action="/useremailonly/register?referringlink=sidebar-widget" method="post" novalidate="novalidate">
  <div class="ajax-loader">
    <span></span>
  </div>
  <img src="https://vertassets.blob.core.windows.net/sites/contentbribes/SubscribeToday.png" alt="Newsletter Signup" title="Newsletter Signup" class="vm-signup-img">
  <div class="validation-summary validation-summary-valid" style="display: none;" data-valmsg-summary="true">
    <ul>
      <li style="display:none"></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <p>Get the latest water industry news, insights, and analysis delivered to your inbox.</p>
  <p class="vm-signup-highlighted-text"></p>
  <input type="hidden" data-val="true" data-val-required="The Source field is required." id="Source" name="Source" value="EmailReg-WOL">
  <div class="form-group row">
    <div class="col-sm-12">
      <input type="text" class="form-control form-control-sm email-input-consent-check-trigger" placeholder="Email" maxlength="100" data-val="true" data-val-email="The Email field is not a valid e-mail address."
        data-val-required="You must enter a valid email address" id="Email" name="Email" value="">
      <span class="field-validation-valid" data-valmsg-for="Email" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="form-row">
    <div class="col-sm-12">
      <div class="nl-consent-container" style="display: none;">
        <div class="form-check"><label class="form-check-label"><strong><input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" data-val-range="You must accept the Terms And Conditions." data-val-range-max="True" data-val-range-min="True"
                data-val-required="The NlConsent field is required." name="NlConsent" type="checkbox" value="true">I agree to the <a href="/static/legal">Terms</a>.</strong></label><span class="field-validation-valid validation-message"
            data-valmsg-for="NlConsent" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span></div>
      </div>
      <div class="client-consent-container" style="display: none;">
        <div class="form-check"><label class="form-check-label"><strong><input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" data-val-required="The ClientConsent field is required." name="ClientConsent" type="checkbox" value="true">I agree to the
              <a href="/static/privacy">Privacy Statement</a>.</strong></label><span class="field-validation-valid validation-message" data-valmsg-for="ClientConsent" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span></div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="row justify-content-end mt-3">
    <div class="col-12">
      <button type="submit" class="btn btn-block btn-sm vm-button">
        <i class="fa fa-user"></i>
        <span class="vm-button-text">SIGN ME UP</span>
      </button>
    </div>
  </div>
  <input name="__RequestVerificationToken" type="hidden" value="CfDJ8L4Tx_kqk_hOqQdWmadsynTo5-3lTe700CmWtLc_LJDWAcli46RTr_h-eck0f21rJBhLIHVE4qUbR72Bsf0xP-remdWyvgbfmDowAabqLlQHB8C8e2ezAwl2Ng8ldT-q3U6tvVA3Uht0KkTftcHBld4">
</form>

POST /useremailonly/register?referringlink=popup

<form action="/useremailonly/register?referringlink=popup" method="post" novalidate="novalidate">
  <div class="modal-header no-gutters justify-content-between">
    <img src="https://vertassets.blob.core.windows.net/sites/contentbribes/WOL-Newsletter-Subscription-Pop-Up-Final.png" alt="Sign Up Now" title="Sign Up Now" class="img-fluid">
    <div class="vm-ajax-loader"><span></span></div>
    <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-hidden="true" onclick="hideConsent()">×</button>
  </div>
  <div class="modal-body">
    <input type="hidden" data-val="true" data-val-required="The Source field is required." id="Source" name="Source" value="PopUp-WOL">
    <div class="form-group row no-gutters">
      <div class="col-sm pr-1">
        <input type="text" class="form-control email-input-consent-check-trigger" placeholder="Email" maxlength="100" data-val="true" data-val-email="The Email field is not a valid e-mail address."
          data-val-required="You must enter a valid email address" id="Email" name="Email" value="">
        <span class="field-validation-valid" data-valmsg-for="Email" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span>
      </div>
      <div class="col-sm-auto">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btn vm-button vm-alt-button">Subscribe</button>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="form-row">
      <div class="col-sm-10" pl-1="">
        <div class="nl-consent-container" style="display: none;">
          <div class="form-check"><label class="form-check-label"><strong><input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" data-val-range="You must accept the Terms And Conditions." data-val-range-max="True" data-val-range-min="True"
                  data-val-required="The NlConsent field is required." name="NlConsent" type="checkbox" value="true">I agree to the <a href="/static/legal">Terms</a>.</strong></label><span class="field-validation-valid validation-message"
              data-valmsg-for="NlConsent" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span></div>
        </div>
        <div class="client-consent-container" style="display: none;">
          <div class="form-check"><label class="form-check-label"><strong><input class="form-check-input" data-val="true" data-val-required="The ClientConsent field is required." name="ClientConsent" type="checkbox" value="true">I agree to the
                <a href="/static/privacy">Privacy Statement</a>.</strong></label><span class="field-validation-valid validation-message" data-valmsg-for="ClientConsent" data-valmsg-replace="true"></span></div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <input name="__RequestVerificationToken" type="hidden" value="CfDJ8L4Tx_kqk_hOqQdWmadsynTo5-3lTe700CmWtLc_LJDWAcli46RTr_h-eck0f21rJBhLIHVE4qUbR72Bsf0xP-remdWyvgbfmDowAabqLlQHB8C8e2ezAwl2Ng8ldT-q3U6tvVA3Uht0KkTftcHBld4">
</form>

Text Content

Get the best of Water Online delivered straight to your Inbox! sign me up

Sign in or Sign-up
Water
Treatment
All Treatment Contaminant Removal Desalination Disinfection Filtration Membranes
Measurement
All Measurement Analysis Flow Control and Measurement Instrumentation SCADA and
Automation
Distribution
All Distribution AMR, AMI and Metering Pumps and Drives Water Loss
Source Water
All Source Water Contamination Desalination Scarcity Water Reuse
Regulations and Legislation
Wastewater
Treatment
All Treatment Aeration and Blowers Biosolids and Sludge Collection Systems
Contaminant Removal Disinfection Filtration Flushables Membranes Mixing Nutrient
Removal Odor Control Produced Water Separation and Clarification Wastewater
Pumps Water Reuse
Measurement
All Measurement Analytical Instruments Flow Control and Measurement
Instrumentation SCADA and Automation
Management
All Management Flushables Pump Station Control Pumps and Valves Sewers and Sewer
Line Maintenance Stormwater
Regulations and Legislation
Industrial
All Industrial Food & Beverage
Petroleum & Refining
All Petroleum & Refining Produced Water
Power Generation Water Reuse
Utility Management
All Utility Management AMR, AMI and Metering Asset Management Consumer Outreach
Funding Labor Resiliency SCADA & Automation
Source Water
All Source Water Contamination Desalination Water Scarcity Water Reuse
Regulations and Legislation Water Loss and Leak Detection
Innovations Webinars
Trending
PFAS Lead and Copper Rule



GUEST COLUMN | MAY 5, 2022




TAKING THE "FOREVER" OUT OF PFAS: THE FUTURE OF PFAS REMEDIATION

By Tamzen Macbeth and Charles Schaefer

As PFAS treatment technologies continue to emerge, CDM Smith reviews some
considerations for the existing options — and introduces a new one.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are some of the most difficult
chemicals to break down, or destroy, due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine
bond, the strongest bond in chemistry. Most PFAS destructive technologies
require extreme temperature or pressure, caustic conditions, or harsh chemical
additives and consume tremendous amounts of energy.

Currently, no destructive technology has been demonstrated at full scale for
large volumes of contaminated water. In addition, drinking water providers have
relied on conventional technologies using sorption, ion exchange, or
sequestration to separate and concentrate PFAS into other media or waste
streams. However, this poses the risk of re-releasing these “forever” chemicals
back into the environment. As such, destruction is a critical step in solving
the global PFAS crisis.

Today, destruction technologies such as electrochemical oxidation (ECO), plasma,
and supercritical water oxidation have demonstrated abilities to break down
PFAS. To integrate these promising technologies for future water treatment,
treatment trains that first separate and concentrate PFAS to reduce the volume
are necessary to make these (and other) destructive treatments viable.

Separate And Concentrate

To address urgent needs to remove PFAS from drinking water supplies, we have
developed methods to evaluate, design, and implement at full scale reliable
technologies such as granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange (IX), and
reverse osmosis (RO) for PFAS treatment. However, these technologies still
generate PFAS-laden waste streams with volumes that are often impractical to
treat with destructive technologies. Our researchers have been rigorously
testing new ways to separate and concentrate PFAS that can be used along with or
in place of these conventional treatments.

One particularly promising technology relies on using air bubbles to “strip”
PFAS out of water and into foams, which are condensed to highly concentrated
PFAS solutions. This technology has achieved concentration factors of 90,000
times at full scale and ongoing optimizations are working to achieve
concentration factors of one million times. In other words, one million gallons
of PFAS could be treated generating approximately one to 10 gallons of PFAS
concentrate for destructive treatment. Together with EPOC Enviro, CDM Smith has
been rigorously testing surface-active foam fractionation (SAFF®) in our
treatment train concept. We recently completed the first U.S. pilot application,
successfully treating 265,000 gallons of PFAS-contaminated groundwater and
generating three gallons of PFAS concentrate. The concentrate has been sent to
our laboratory in Denver, where it is being treated with our pilot destructive
ECO system.

Destroy

Numerous PFAS destruction technologies are under development (see
https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/12-treatment-technologies/). Promising destruction
technologies that have progressed from bench- to pilot-scale include ECO,
plasma, UV-reductive, hydrothermal, and supercritical water oxidation. These
technologies have successfully treated an array of water samples highly
concentrated with PFAS and are considered ideal for destructive treatment,
including one or more of the following:

 * Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) concentrates
 * Groundwater within PFAS source areas
 * Remediation waste streams (such as wastewater generated from regeneration of
   GAC or regenerable IX resin; foam-fractionation, soil-washing, rejected-RO
   concentrates; chemical-or electro-coagulation.
 *  Landfill or biosolid leachate



Electrochemical Oxidation (ECO)

Our researchers have proven ECO to reduce high-concentration PFAS effectively,
typically achieving reductions of 90% to 99.999% in laboratory and pilot
studies.

ECO uses an electrochemical cell to generate an electric current between a
reactive anode and cathode (the electrodes). The process degrades PFAS through
two mechanisms:

 * Anodic oxidation (direct electrolysis) – PFAS adsorb onto an anode surface
   and are destroyed directly at the electrode by a direct electron transfer
   reaction.
 * Indirect oxidation – Strong oxidizing and nonselective radicals (such as
   hydroxyl, oxygen, sulfate, and carbonate) are generated in situ that react
   with, and break down, PFAS in the bulk liquid reactions.

Choosing A Destruction Approach

Because of the high demand for destructive PFAS technologies, they are often
promoted hastily without demonstrating complete destruction (e.g.,
defluorination) and without confidence the technology can meet stringent
effluent discharge requirements. The feasibility of these technologies must be
carefully considered for each new application. To effectively develop a
treatment train approach, technology compatibility, engineering constraints, and
O&M requirements must be considered.

Currently, technology evaluation for a particular site/application must include
bench- and pilot-scale tests to demonstrate technology and incorporate economic
feasibility in the selection process. A thoughtful approach will ensure the
system can meet required treatment volumes, rates, and discharge criteria.

The development and commercialization of PFAS destruction technologies is in its
infancy. Technology benefits and limitations should be discussed with technology
providers, including:

 * Energy demand and efficiency to achieve desired treatment goals at the scale
   required for the system.
 * Health and safety concerns.
 * O&M requirements and longevity of the system.
 * Scale of available systems and feasibility of operating largescale systems,
   if required.
 * Potential for incomplete PFAS destruction resulting in accumulation of
   fluorinated intermediates that are generated but not measurable.
 * Feasibility of achieving stringent (i.e., very low) treatment requirements.
   Often a treatment train approach may be needed before effluent discharge.
 * Effectiveness in destroying all PFAS chemicals, including short-chain PFAS
   (which are generally harder to treat) and precursors as sources of
   perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs).
 * Generation of non-PFAS toxic byproducts, such as perchlorate or hydrofluoric
   acid. For instance, perchlorate is known to be formed during electrochemical
   oxidation treatment due to the aggressive oxidation of chloride in the
   feedwater. Although perchlorate can be addressed easily, treatment systems
   must account for, and treat, perchlorate in the process

CDM Smith has been investigating PFAS destruction for nearly a decade. Our
approach to assessing PFAS destructive technologies at a site includes
treatability testing at the bench-, pilot-, and full-scale levels, using three
lines of evidence to confirm complete PFAS destruction.

About The Authors

Tamzen Macbeth, PhD, PE, BCEE, is an internationally recognized remediation
expert who develops innovative, cost-effective technologies for contaminated
soil, sediment, and groundwater. Tamzen has helped advance countless
technologies within her field, publishing more than 100 technical papers,
training manuals, and guidance documents on remediation topics.



Charles Schaefer Jr., PhD, is an environmental scientist and the director of CDM
Smith’s Bellevue, Washington, Research and Testing Laboratory. Charles has
received multiple awards for his research into PFAS, most recently earning a top
prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for investigating AFFF
with the U.S. Department of Defense.


 * 


LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING?

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

SIGN ME UP
I agree to the Terms
I agree to the Privacy Statement

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.


NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

 * 

Get the latest water industry news, insights, and analysis delivered to your
inbox.




I agree to the Terms.
I agree to the Privacy Statement.
SIGN ME UP


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

 * PFAS DESTRUCTION THROUGH SUPERCRITICAL WATER OXIDATION
   
   Despite several states taking action against PFAS, satisfying solutions to
   destroy the forever chemicals have been out of sight. However, a Danish
   company has taken up the fight, and the proven...

 * ADDRESSING PFAS IN OUR WATER SUPPLY: TREATMENT VS. DESTRUCTION
   
   As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) demand increasing attention due
   to health, environmental, and regulatory concerns, the pros and cons of
   available treatment options should be thoroughly...

 * HOW TO TRULY ERADICATE PFAS FROM OUR DRINKING WATER
   
   As so-called “forever chemicals” get more attention from regulators and the
   public at large, the pressure is on to eliminate these pervasive contaminants
   — forever.

 * FIRST ECT2 PFAS PILOT STUDY MAKING HEADLINES IN SWEDEN
   
   After announcing Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc.’s (“ECT2”)
   European presence in Sweden and Germany in late 2020, our team quickly got to
   work on raising awareness...

 * DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY CLEANS UP PFAS-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER
   
   More than 1.5 million Michigan residents and potentially more than hundreds
   of sites nationwide ­– and counting – have PFAS-tainted water.

 * EPA AWARDS $6M TO RESEARCH POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PFAS SUBSTANCES
   IN WASTE STREAMS

 * OPTIMIZING PFAS REMOVAL IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER CONTAMINANTS

 * A SOLUTION FOR CLEANING UP PFAS, ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INTRACTABLE
   POLLUTANTS

 * THE EVOLVING COST COMPARISON OF GAC VS. IX FOR PFAS TREATMENT

 * SURFACE ACTIVE FOAM FRACTIONATION (SAFF) TECHNOLOGY NOW CAPABLE OF REMOVING
   SHORT CHAIN PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS)

 * TESTING BETTER PATHS TO CONTAMINANT CONTROL

 * SUEZ WHITE PAPER REVIEWS PFAS SOLUTIONS IN-DEPTH






×
Subscribe
I agree to the Terms.
I agree to the Privacy Statement.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more
Got it!

EXPLORE WATER ONLINE

 * From The Editor
 * Water Online Newsletters
 * Latest Water and Wastewater News
 * Article Archives

POPULAR FEATURES

 * Water Talk Podcasts
 * Water Talk Webinars
 * Water Online TV
 * Water Innovations Digital Magazine Archive
 * Upcoming Events

BEYOND WATER ONLINE

 * Water Online On Twitter
 * Water Online On LinkedIn
 * Sign-Up For Our Newsletter
 * Partners

ADVERTISE ON WATER ONLINE

 * Request A Demo
 * Water Online Media Kit
 * 2022 Water Online Editorial Calendar
 * Premier Advertisers
 * About Water Online

WRITE FOR WATER ONLINE

 * Water Intelligence Panel
 * Editorial Submission Guidelines
 * Custom Content Services
 * Contact Editor Now


Copyright © 1996-2022 VertMarkets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.
Privacy Statement. Subscriber Request Form. Don't sell my information

We'd like to notify you about new and exclusive articles from water & wastewater
leaders.


AllowNo Thanks