PFAS-Immobilization for Soil- and Groundwater Remediation and Screening

A large part of PFAS-contaminated soils are currently still classified as “non-remediable,” due in part to soil properties, excessive PFAS concentration and/or inability to excavate the soil. Remediation via PFAS immobilization is a universally applicable technique and offers a solution to the limitations of current soil and groundwater remediation techniques. The JDN additive used for this purpose was specifically developed by Envisan for the immobilization of PFAS and therefore exceeds the performance of current immobilization additives on the market (lowest dosage and highest effectiveness).

With this project, we want to demonstrate the applicability of PFAS immobilization at pilot scale for both shallow PFAS contamination (via mixing) and deep PFAS contamination (via injection). The remediation will be carried out by Soetaert on a site made available by Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Monitoring of the remediation will make use of an innovative PFAS screening technique developed by UGent. This technique is able to detect the total PFAS concentration in a few minutes. For a year and a half, the immobilization will be monitored by Antea Group. In addition, Envisan is subjecting the immobilized soil at lab scale to more extreme exposures that cannot be replicated at pilot scale.

This project is leading to a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of PFAS immobilization. Based on the important lessons learned from the implementation and results, once completed, the technique can be used at full scale for various applications. Some examples include treatment of soils that cannot be excavated and post-treatment of extremely contaminated soils where other remediation techniques are not sufficiently efficient. The successful use of immobilization by itself and its combination with other remediation techniques will go a long way toward finding a sustainable, affordable and rapid solution to any PFAS-contaminated soil.