Dr. Paul Hatzinger, Ph.D.

Field Evaluation of Colloidal Activated Carbon for In Situ Sequestration of PFAS

Dr. Paul Hatzinger, Ph.D., Director of the Biotechnology Development and Applications Group, APTIM

There are currently no proven in situ technologies to destroy PFAS in groundwater aquifers, but in situ amendments designed to adsorb and sequester PFAS are increasingly being evaluated in the laboratory and field tests.  One of the most promising amendments is colloidal activated carbon (CAC). However, there are several important questions concerning CAC application for PFAS, including (1) distribution in aquifers; (2) general effectiveness on different PFAS; and (3) long-term adsorption capacity and potential for re-release of PFAS to groundwater. We recently completed a 2-year field demonstration at a PFAS-contaminated site in Virginia with the objective of answering many of these questions. This demonstration included site assessment, laboratory column studies, CAC injection and distribution testing, and long-term monitoring of CAC barrier effectiveness. During this presentation, the fundamentals of CAC as a remediation approach for PFAS will be discussed, as will the results from the Virginia field test as well as other studies of PFAS remediation using CAC.

Dr. Paul Hatzinger is the Director of the Biotechnology Development and Applications Group at APTIM. He holds a PhD from Cornell University and has more than 25 years of experience in contaminant remediation and forensics. His research group has been instrumental in the development, testing, and field application of new remedial approaches for emerging contaminants, including PFAS. Paul has authored 102 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has served as the Principal Investigator on 35 research grants from government organizations, including EPA, DOE, NSF, NESDI, AFCEC and the DoD SERDP and ESTCP programs. Dr. Hatzinger recently organized and co-taught an 8-hr PFAS training course at the 2024 Battelle Conference entitled In Situ Management of PFAS in Groundwater.