FY 2021 STATEMENT OF NEED

 Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area 

The objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to develop an improved understanding of the effectiveness and sustainability of thermal destruction technologies for treatment of materials laden with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Specifically, the goal was to address the following research needs:

• Develop a better understanding of incineration on materials of interest.
• Improve the understanding of PFAS fate during thermal reactivation of granulated activated carbon (GAC) and other carbon-based sorbents.
• Assess the fate and behavior of PFAS and co-occurring chemicals during production and processing of residual product streams from various technologies.
• Develop novel or modified sorbents that facilitate less intensive reactivation and more sustainable processes.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects will be available soon.

• Improved Understanding of Thermal Destruction Technologies for Materials Laden With PFAS
  • Lead Investigator: Kyle Doudrick, University of Notre Dame
• Thermal-Enhanced Photochemical and Alkaline Destruction of PFAS in Sorbent Regenerants and Membrane Concentrates
  • Lead Investigator: Jinyong Liu, University of California, Riverside
• Improving Low Temperature Thermal Treatment of PFAS and Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy Methods to Monitor Treatment Efficacy
  • Lead Investigator: Paul Hatzinger, APTIM Federal Services, LLC
• Thermal Decomposition of PFAS on Granular Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Mass Balance, and Reuse of Reactivated Carbon
  • Lead Investigator: Feng Xiao, University of North Dakota
• Determination of Thermal Degradation Products and Residuals of PFAS Laden Sorbent Materials in Gas and Condensed Phases
  • Lead Investigator: Ying-Hsuan Lin, University of California, Riverside
• Experimental and Theoretical Validation of the Chemical Kinetics for the Thermal Destruction of PFAS
  • Lead Investigator: C. Franklin Goldsmith, Brown University
• Sustainable PFAS Treatment Using Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) Sorbents
  • Lead Investigator: Yuwei Zhao, APTIM Federal Services, LLC
• Multi-Scale Evaluation of PFAS Thermal Destruction Requirements
  • Lead Investigator: Erin Shields, U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development
• A Quantum Chemical - Machine Learning Approach for the Prediction of Thermal PFAS Destruction
  • Lead Investigator: Anthony Rappe, Colorado State University
• Develop Synergetic Novel Macrocycle-based Sorbents with Thermal Destruction for Enhanced PFAS Removal in Groundwater and Drinking Water Treatment
  • Lead Investigator: Yuexiao Shen, Texas Tech University
• Thermal Destruction of PFAS by Hydrodynamic Cavitation
  • Lead Investigator: Michael Izenson, Creare LLC

Research should develop technologies for improved management and treatment of PFAS-laden materials that will help facilitate the establishment of more cost-effective and efficient remedial action plans that are protective of human health and the environment. Also, research should improve the reliability of treatment processes and expedite the cleanup and closure of contaminated Department of Defense (DoD) sites.