Abstracts

“Supercritical Water Oxidation for Complete PFAS Destruction” by Dr. Marc Deshusses ( ESTCP Project ER20-5350) 

 This project supports the Department of Defense’s (DoD) efforts to promote the development of cost-effective technologies for the destructive treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various matrices. Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) is a transformative treatment that utilizes the unique properties of water above its critical point (374 degrees Celsius and 218 atmospheres, or 705 degrees Fahrenheit and 3200 pounds per square inch). Under these conditions, and in the presence of oxygen, all organic molecules are rapidly oxidized to inorganic species, and recalcitrant organics are effectively treated. This presentation will cover project developments in investigating PFAS destruction using a continuous pilot SCWO system that can handle one ton of waste per day for treatability studies (e.g., for rinsates, landfill leachate, PFAS, spent sorbents, etc.) as well as a bench-scale SCWO apparatus for kinetic studies. In this webinar, the performance of SCWO and its costs for the destructive treatment of PFAS-impacted wastes will also be discussed.  

“Advancing Safer Alternatives to AFFF: Lessons Learned From a SERDP Funded-Initiative” by Dr. Joel Tickner ( SERDP Project WP19-1424) 

Concerted efforts are underway to develop safe and effective alternatives to AFFF. SERDP and ESTCP programs have funded several research and development projects to evaluate performance, lifecycle impacts, and health and safety implications of commercially available, non-fluorinated alternatives. Additionally, these projects advance efforts in developing novel chemistries used to produce non-fluorinated alternatives. Despite these efforts, DoD has no specific approach to evaluating AFFF alternatives which could result in ill-suited substitutions. This presentation will discuss efforts to help the DoD make informed choices on AFFF alternatives by strengthening and building consistency in the approaches used to identify, compare, and adopt alternatives. The goal is to create approaches that can be replicated for other high priority, yet mission critical, chemicals of concern. The presentation will also cover significant barriers the team identified in the adoption of AFFF alternatives, ranging from resistance and transition, to lack of national strategy and leadership.