Originally aired October 26, 2022

Regenerable ion exchange resins and foam fractionation are two PFAS treatment technologies that have the ability to separate PFAS from a bulk liquid stream and concentrate them into a low volume waste stream that can be economically processed with a destruction technology. Regenerable ion exchange resins can be repeatedly returned to service onsite over years with the efficacy of virgin media, reducing a major offsite waste stream. Foam fractionation can remove PFAS without pre-treatment from waters with complex background chemistries. This presentation will present case studies on how regenerable ion exchange resins and foam fractionation have been applied by ECT2 to PFAS-impacted groundwater, leachate, and industrial waters to minimize waste and meet water discharge requirements.

The resulting minimal waste streams can be further treated with a destruction technology to achieve complete onsite PFAS management. The second half of the presentation will review the pros and cons of various destruction technologies for destroying PFAS in regenerable ion exchange still bottoms and foam fractionate. Pilot and bench scale data will be presented on the PFAS destruction efficacy of electrochemical oxidation, plasma, UV sulfite treatment, supercritical water oxidation, and hydrothermal alkaline treatment.

Dave Kempisty, PhD, PE
Dave is a licensed engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the water treatment and environmental remediation space. His current role at ECT2 focuses on the use of novel technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants such as PFAS, 1,4 dioxane and carcinogenic volatile organics from the environment. Before this, he spent 22 years in the United States Air Force as an environmental engineer, occupational health consultant and assistant professor. As Program Director for Environmental Engineering and Science at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Dave taught 12 graduate courses to environmental engineers in the USAF, USMC and from international liaison countries. Dave has also directed research awards from a wide variety of funding agencies such as the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (DOD, DOE and EPA), Environmental Science Technology Certification Program (DOD), Environmental Protection Agency, Air Force Research Laboratory, and Air Force Institute of Technology. The resulting work has been shared with cooperative research and development agreements, educational partnership agreements, and the scientific literature. As editor to two books on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and author to over 20 peer-reviewed papers and presentations on a variety of environmental topics, Dave provides a well-balanced perspective on today’s environmental issues. Dave earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado-Boulder in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He holds a Master of Science from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science from Michigan Technological University.

Erika Houtz, PhD, PE

Dr. Houtz has over thirteen years of academic and professional experience investigating the environmental impacts of PFAS. She has extensive experience in developing analytical and experimental methods for the measurement of PFAS in environmental and human samples, including developing the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay. She has authored multiple peer reviewed publications on the fate and transport of PFAS in natural and engineered systems. Since joining ECT2 in 2021, she has been engaged in the evaluation and development of treatment and destruction technologies that can be incorporated into ECT2 treatment systems. Erika earned her Ph.D. and MS degrees in environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and her BS in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University.