November 19 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
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What happens to PFAS when waste materials undergo thermal treatment? While technologies like combustion and pyrolysis offer potential approaches for managing PFAS-containing waste, questions remain about how these chemicals break down, where they end up, and what byproducts may form during treatment.
Dr. Florentino De la Cruz will examine the current understanding of PFAS behavior during thermal treatment, including the conditions that influence decomposition, emissions, and the formation of fluorinated byproducts. He’ll also discuss ongoing laboratory research investigating these processes and the challenges of measuring treatment effectiveness.
The Science Session will explore what these findings mean for waste management applications, including flares, engines, leachate evaporators, and incinerators, with particular attention to operational conditions, monitoring considerations, and remaining research gaps.
About the Presenter
As an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of North Florida, Dr. Florentino de la Cruz dedicates his research to the intersection of environmental chemistry and solid waste management. Building on his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from North Carolina State University and degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, he explores the complex chemical and biological processes driving waste treatment and disposal. Dr. de la Cruz characterizes pollutants at the compound level to map their trajectory through soil, water, and air matrices. His work bridges the gap between engineered waste systems, like landfills, and natural environments to mitigate the overarching impacts of chemical exposure on human health and water quality.
