The objective of this project is to produce a podcast series focused on SERDP and ESTCP research and demonstrations addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment. This podcast will highlight three primary topics: remediation, fate and transport, and ecotoxicity. 

In both seasons, a broad panel of experts are interviewed who have each contributed to the growing knowledge base around remediating this emerging chemical of concern. 

Published podcasts are provided below and on SoundCloud.

Episode 1: Introduction to SERDP and ESTCP Efforts on PFAS in the Environment with Andrea Leeson (SERDP & ESTCP)

This first episode of the podcast features an interview with Dr. Andrea Leeson. Dr. Leeson has been with SERDP and ESTCP for more than 20 years and at the time of this episode was the Program's Deputy Director. The conversation focuses on the growth of SERDP and ESTCP's interest in PFAS, a family of compounds that now holds a majority of the identified research areas of need for the program. We discuss some of that evolution, including the progress that's been made, as well as where Dr. Leeson sees the program headed from here. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 2: Plasma Destruction of PFAS in Groundwater with Stephen Richardson (GSI Environmental, Inc.)

This episode spotlights an interview with Dr. Stephen Richardson, Vice President and Principal Engineer with GSI Environmental, Inc. in Austin, Texas. Dr. Richardson specializes in bringing technologies from the lab to the field for treatment of pollutants in the environment. He has served as Principal Investigator on several DoD sponsored research projects focused on PFAS. This episode highlights his ESTCP project focused on nanofiltration followed by electrical discharge plasma for destruction of PFAS and co-occurring chemicals in groundwater. Or, in simpler terms, his research using plasma to destroy PFAS in water and bringing this technology to the field in a mobile trailer. Dr. Johnsie Lang, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 3: Using Injectable Sorbent to Halt Mobility of PFAS Into Water Sources

This episode focuses on a discussion with Dr. Paul Hatzinger, Director of the APTIM’s Technology Development Laboratory in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Dr. Hatzinger has served as a Principal Investigator on several DoD sponsored research projects focused on PFAS and this interview covers his ESTCP project about validation of colloidal activated sorbent for preventing the migration of PFAS in groundwater. The research looks at using injectable sorbent to halt the mobility of PFAS into water sources. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 4: Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) for Complete PFAS Destruction

This episode features an interview with Dr. Marc Deshusses, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Dr. Deshusses' research interests are related to the design, analysis and application of remediation, waste to energy and decentralized sanitation processes. He has served as Principal Investigator on several DoD sponsored research projects focused on PFAS. His ESTCP project about supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) for complete PFAS destruction is discussed in this episode. SCWO is a treatment technology that uses the unique properties of water above its critical point (704°F and 3200 pounds per square inch). Dr. Theresa Guillette, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 5: PFAS: Understanding Fate and Transport in the Environment

This episode spotlights a discussion with Dr. Jennifer Field, Professor at Oregon State University. Dr. Field specializes in the development of quantitative analytical methods for PFAS and their transformation products in natural and engineered systems. She has served as Principal Investigator on several DoD sponsored research projects focused on PFAS. The discussion will focus on her SERDP project about a mechanistic understanding of PFAS in source zones where she aims to understand how PFAS move in the environment following release. Dr. Johnsie Lang, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 6: PFAS: Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle Cleaning Assessment

This episode interviews Mr. John Anderson, Principal Wastewater Engineer at Arcadis. Mr. Anderson specializes in PFAS remediation and has recently focused on the removal of PFAS residuals from fire-suppression systems. This discussion focuses on his ESTCP project about aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle cleaning assessments, which looks at PFAS left behind in a firetruck following removal of the PFAS-containing AFFF and water flushing. Dr. Johnsie Lang, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host. 

Episode 7: PFAS: Critical Data for Assessing the Marine Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of PFAS

This episode spotlights a discussion with Dr. Jason Conder, environmental toxicologist, chemist, and principal scientist at Geosyntec Consultants. As an expert on PFAS, Dr. Conder's work includes several products and site-specific PFAS fate and risk assessments. He is a Principal Investigator on multiple SERDP and ESTCP projects, but this episode highlights his SERDP project about critical data for assessing the marine toxicity and bioaccumulation of PFAS. Dr. Theresa Guillette, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 8: Multi-Generational PFAS Exposure

This episode features an interview with Dr. David Moore, the Director of USACE ERDC Program for Advanced Materials and Substances of Emerging Environmental Concern and environmental toxicologist with experience in developing and directing large, multi-disciplinary studies relating to emerging environmental chemicals of concern. As an expert on emerging chemicals of concern, this episode covers his SERDP project focused on multi-generational PFOS exposure. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 9: Sonolysis-Based In Situ Destruction of PFAS within an HRX Well

This episode features an interview with Dr. Michelle Crimi, the Dean of the Graduate School at Clarkson University, and co-founder of RemWell. Dr. Crimi is a Professor at Clarkson University that studies innovative ways to clean up impacted groundwater and protect aquifers through smarter, more effective treatment technologies. This episode covers Dr. Crimi’s ESTCP project focused on sonolysis-based in situ PFAS destruction within an HRX well. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 10: How PFAS Moves from AFFF Areas to Groundwater

This episode spotlights a discussion with Dr. Charles Schaefer, an environmental scientist and director of CDM Smith’s research lab in Bellevue, Washington. His work focuses on understanding and treating PFAS-impacted groundwater and soil. A leading researcher with over 50 scientific publications, he has led major SERDP and ESTCP projects and received multiple Project of the Year awards. This episode he will be talking about several projects exploring how PFAS move through the unsaturated zone in AFFF source areas and potentially migrate into groundwater. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 11: Molecular Design of Effective and Versatile Adsorbents of Ex Situ Treatment of AFFF-Impacted Groundwater

This episode features an interview with Dr. Carla Ng who is a professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. This episode explores Dr. Ng's research conducted under her SERDP-funded project, ER18-1417, in which she examined the ability of PFAS to bind with proteins. A combination of both molecular modeling techniques and batch testing was employed to verify whether these protein interactions could be tuned to efficiently absorb a variety of different PFAS, thus opening a pathway to develop bio-based PFAS sorbents for the treatment of AFFF-impacted groundwater. Dr. Theresa Guillette, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 12: Ex Situ Soil Washing to Remove PFAS Adsorbed to Soils from Source Zones

This episode interviews Mr. Joseph Quinnin, the Senior Vice President at Arcadis, who leads the emerging chemicals practice area. He discusses how his ESTCP-funded project, ER20-5258, developed an optimized design to adapt the time-tested technology of soil washing to efficiently remove PFAS from impacted soils. The approach was optimized to clean the sand and gravel and separate the fines and organics for secondary treatment. Next generation soil washing is focused on treating the fines and organics. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 13: Osorb Passive Sampler for Determination of PFAS in Sediment Porewater

This episode features an interview with Dr. Erika Carter, Principal Geoscientist at Arcadis. She discusses how her ESTCP-funded project, ER23-7696, validated a passive sampling device (the PassiveX™ sampler, developed under a SERDP project, ER20-1127, for measurement of PFAS in sediment porewater. With sorbent media optimized for short- and long-chain PFAS placed in a device roughly the size of a luggage tag, the sampler can be deployed in a variety of configurations. Previous laboratory and field work have demonstrated the sampler reliably measures a broad range of PFAS concentrations in environmental waters of varying composition. This project extends the application of the device to the sediment porewater environment. Dr. Craig Divine, National Technical Expert and Senior Vice President at Arcadis North America, is the host.

Episode 14: Improving Access and Utility of Analytical Data for the Confident Discovery Identification and Source Attribution of PFAS and Environmental Matrices

This episode spotlights a discussion with Jared Ragland, a Research Scientist in the Material Measurement Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division at the National Institute of Standards & Technology. He discusses how his SERDP-funded project, ER20-1056, created a data infrastructure that stores PFAS mass spectral information and related metadata. By using an open database structure, analytical laboratories can integrate this database into their non-targeted analysis workflows to identify unknown PFAS within the environment. Dr. Theresa Guillette, PFAS Technical Expert with Arcadis North America, is the host.