Flore Martin

PFAS incineration at Hazardous Waste Incinerator

Flore Martin, Environmental Engineer and Project Coordinator, Veolia North America

This study assesses the destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a commercial hazardous waste incinerator in the United States. Three different PFAS-contaminated waste streams, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), contaminated soils and spent activated carbon, and one stream of CF4 are incinerated under normal operational conditions. AFFF is incinerated in two different conditions : with and without lime injection. The incinerator, equipped with a rotary kiln, a second combustion chamber (SCC) and a wet flue gas treatment line, is operated at temperatures around 2050°F with residence times of minimum 2 seconds in the SCC. Comprehensive sampling and PFAS analysis are conducted on input waste streams, liquid and solid residues, and stack emissions. Targeted analyses, including EPA 1633 and 537, are performed on all samples to calculate the DRE. For the AFFF runs, a Fluorine mass balance is performed to study the mineralization rate of PFAS into HF with Adsordable Organic Fluorine on liquid samples, Extractable Organic Fluorine on the solid and HF sampling at stack.  OTM 45, OTM 50 and HF sampling are performed at stack. Non-targeted analysis (NTA) is performed on the OTM 45 extracts. All analyses are performed by an external laboratory with PFAS accreditation, except the NTA which are performed in a Veolia laboratory.  The protocol of the test has been shared with the USEPA. 

Flore Martin is an environmental engineer and project coordinator at Veolia North America, specializing in hazardous waste treatment and incineration. In 2024, she took part and organized a PFAS testing campaign at one of Veolia's hazardous waste incinerators. The knowledge gained in this campaign contributes to increase Veolia’s ability to address emerging contaminants and improve waste management practices.