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Rock Solid: Evaluating Solidification of PFAS in RO Concentrate

March 11, 2021 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST

Speakers:

  • Paul Ruehl, U.S. Environmental Remediation Specialist, LafargeHolcim
  • Ryan Schipper, PE, Senior Engineer, Golder Associates
  • Patrick Stanford, General Manager, Rochem Americas, Inc.

Moderator: Bryan Staley, PhD, PE, President and CEO, Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF)[/vc_column_text]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present a challenge for typical treatment strategies and technologies due to their strong chemical bonds and our limited knowledge of the nearly 5,000 types of PFAS. As a result of these strong bonds and their resistance to breaking down, they have earned the name “forever chemicals”. Given this, only a few conventional treatment strategies (e.g. reverse osmosis) have demonstrated the ability to provide significant removal of PFAS from landfill leachate. Thus far, such technologies serve to concentrate rather than destroy PFAS, which leaves a residual that must be managed. One strategy that is currently being evaluated to deal with residuals containing PFAS concentrations is called solidification/stabilization. This technique, which has commonly been used in the power industry to deal with flue gas residuals, has been adapted and is being evaluated as a way to deal with PFAS concentrated residuals from leachate treatment.

How does this strategy work alongside existing technologies and what do the experts have to say about them? During this session, waste industry experts will discuss the following:

  • Typical treatment technologies and residual management options
  • Use of reverse osmosis as treatment of PFAS in leachate
  • Residual solidification/stabilization
  • Effectiveness of these treatments
  • Where additional science and research are needed to employ these strategies

Speakers:

Photo_Ruehl, Paul - LafargeHolcimcropped

Paul Ruehl
Paul has 43 years as an environmental professional, 39 years in the cement industry. He has been involved with cement solidification/stabilization (S/S) of contaminated sites in the US for more than 38 years. He presently is the U.S. Environmental Remediation Specialist for LafargeHolcim with responsibility throughout North America for the management of S/S projects. For more than two years, Paul has actively conducted research to determine the best cementitious mix designs for the encapsulation of PFAS in landfill leachate. This has resulted in successful field trials, using the treated leachate as an alternate daily cover. This process has a patent pending.

Paul has been actively involved in resource recovery type projects for more than 39 years. He has used cement products to make fertilizer from cow manure, treat waste at licensed treatment facilities, and encapsulate millions of tons of contaminated soils, sludges, dredge spoils and other media.

Paul and his wife have six children and five grandchildren. To date, none of them have expressed a significant interest in Solidification/Stabilization.

Photo_Schipper_Ryan

Ryan Schipper, PE
A registered professional engineer with over 11 years of experience in active and passive water treatment projects. Has completed projects involving wastewater treatment for waste management, mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and site remediation programs. Active water treatment projects have involved alternative evaluations, treatability studies, preliminary design, cost estimates, detailed design, construction oversight and start-up support. Passive water treatment projects have involved evaluation, design, construction and operational support for pilot and full-scale treatment systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Photo_Stanford, Pat - Rochemcropped
Patrick Stanford
Patrick Stanford is the General Manager of Rochem Americas, Inc. Prior to accepting the General Manager role, Pat was the Vice President of Engineering with technical responsibility for all Rochem wastewater systems in North America. Pat has over 35 years of experience with reverse osmosis systems, having installed his first Rochem system in 1985.

Some of the projects he has been involved with include over 30 leachate treatment systems, a Superfund demonstration project on leachate treatment, cleanup of radiological contamination in the US and Canada and a Superfund cleanup of a contaminated lagoon in Texas.

Details

Date:
March 11, 2021
Time:
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST

Organizer

EREF Education Program
Phone:
(919) 861-6876
Email:
education@erefdn.org
View Organizer Website