The Electron Beam (eBeam) technology is a compact destructive technology for soils and sediments impacted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It can be housed in a mobile system as well as in a fixed base facility. The technical objectives of this project will be as follows:

• Conduct a treatability study to optimize critical technical parameters, such as eBeam dose, on representative soil/sediment site samples.
• Determine pre-treatment conditions that will optimize the eBeam dose for effective treatment.
• Design and construct an eBeam prototype system capable of treating soil/sediments as a model for full-scale implementation.

• Conduct a field demonstration and evaluate the performance of the eBeam prototype for destroying PFAS in soil/sediment.

   
  

The Electron Beam technology is a destructive technology that uses compact, high-energy accelerators capable of generating extremely large numbers of high-energy electrons that interact with soil moisture, producing free radicals, hydrogen atoms, and highly reactive aqueous electrons. Under SERDP project ER18-1620, it was demonstrated that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) concentrations in soils (1,739 ng/g and 170 ng/g, respectively) decreased by greater than 99.99% and 98.6%, respectively, when treated with the eBeam technology. Shorter chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and shorter and longer chain perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids also decreased significantly with increasing eBeam dose.

In this project, the Tetra Tech/Texas A&M University (TAMU) team will design and fabricate a mobile eBeam prototype treatment system and demonstrate on-site treatment of soils and sediments impacted with PFAS.

Though eBeam technology is commercially used in the medical device, food, and pharmaceutical industries as a sterilization and pasteurization technology, the technology in the environmental remediation world is still new. This field demonstration will provide an effective soil/sediment treatment technology that can be readily applied to destroy PFAS in soils/sediments with concentrations ranging from low parts per billion to high parts per million. The mobile system will be a model for a future, large-scale trailer/fixed-base facility system for destroying PFAS in impacted soil and sediments. The project will also demonstrate the scalability of the technology for large-scale implementation and commercialization across one or more sites in multiple geographies. The results of this demonstration will contribute significantly to the Department of Defense's ability to sustain warfighter capabilities. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2027)