Scott Crawford will be giving a platform presentation at the Amherst Soils Conference on a comparative evaluation of short-chain PFAS treatment technologies
WHEN: Wednesday October 23, 2019 in Session 11 @ 1:30 – 5:00 PM.
Click here for the conference agenda.
Conference registration can be found here.
Platform Abstract:
Activated Carbon (AC) technology persists as the conventional technology to remove low levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), despite varying reports of early breakthrough of short-chain PFAS compounds and high operating costs. Single use and regenerable adsorption/ion-exchange processes are emerging as practical and economic alternatives, but similar to AC technology, removal efficiencies can potentially be lower for some short-chain PFAS molecules. Treatability studies were performed to directly compare select regenerable media technologies (surface-modified natural media) with synthetic resin and activated carbon. Testing using batch-equilibration reactors and column flushing apparatus was implemented to evaluate removal efficiency and longevity of each media when tested under identical conditions. Studies are being conducted using groundwater from a municipal water well. The primary objective was to determine the removal efficiency and breakthrough of short-chain PFAS molecules, such as polyfluorobutylic acid (PFBA). Long term removal performance for the more commonly studied perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was also confirmed. Regeneration of the media using solvent regeneration techniques, followed by treatment of the concentrated PFAS compound solution using ultra-violet UV/oxidation and electro-chemical technologies is being tested. The results are intended to provide the practitioner with a direct comparison of the various approaches and provide a better understanding of practical advantages/disadvantages of each technology, and specifically for short-chain PFAS removal which is of growing concern.
Presenter Biography:
Scott Crawford is Vice President of Remediation at XDD Environmental and has over 25 years of engineering experience in the application of remediation technologies. As a lead design engineer for XDD, Scott is responsible for overseeing XDD design teams on complex soil and groundwater remediation projects using chemical, biological, physical, and thermal treatments. Scott’s wide range of experience has given him a unique insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the major remediation technologies and their interaction with contaminant fate & transport characteristics which controls remedial success. His responsibilities include strategy development, feasibility evaluations, detailed cost estimation, technical design, and full‐scale implementation. Scott is a licensed Professional Engineer (NH, NJ, and WV) and earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.