Understanding Gasification for PFAS Removal
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Associated Project
Project 5107: Understanding Gasification for PFAS RemovalGasification or pyrolysis, followed by thermal oxidation, are thermochemical processes used for the removal/destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from biosolids. This method is one of three approaches identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other researchers for PFAS mitigation. The other two approaches include supercritical water oxidation and plasma gasification.
Gasification and pyrolysis technologies require dried material (typically greater than 75% total solids). The resulting products from these methods include biochar or inert material. PFAS can still be present in these biosolid byproducts with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations up to 50 parts per billion (ppb) even after implementing a PFAS industrial pretreatment program.
Although PFAS regulations do not exist for practicing beneficial biosolids use (e.g., land application), the EPA’s Draft Risk Assessment indicates that values of 1 ppb for either PFOS or PFOA compounds can lead to human health risk. Thus, methods for further removal or destruction of PFAS may be necessary pending future regulations.
This webcast will share the results of Understanding Gasification for PFAS Removal (5107). This project comprehensively studied the performance and feasibility of a full-scale thermal drying and gasification facility to process municipal sludges as the feedstock, focusing on its ability to remove or destroy PFAS. This is the first study that measured PFAS terminal products in the air of a full-scale operating gasification facility processing municipal solids. Although specific to the tested solids and gasification technology, the results offer one data point from a full-scale facility.
Presenter:
Mohammed (Mo) Abu-Orf, PhD
Vice President & Residuals Group Practice Leader
Hazen and Sawyer
Moderator:
Lola Olabode, MPH, BCES
Research Principal
The Water Research Foundation