Thermal Conduction Heating for Treatment of PFAS-Impacted Soil

Removal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from impacted soils is challenging due to the modest volatility and varying properties of PFAS compounds. Thermal treatment technologies have been developed for treatment of semi-volatile compounds such as dioxins, furans, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and poly-chlorinated biphenyls in soils at temperatures near 325°C. In controlled bench-scale testing, complete removal of targeted PFAS compounds to concentrations below reporting limits of 0.5 µg/kg was demonstrated at temperatures of 400°C. Three field-scale thermal PFAS treatment projects that have been completed in the US include an in-pile treatment demonstration, an in situ vadose zone treatment demonstration and a larger scale treatment demonstration with excavated PFAS-impacted soil in a constructed pile. Based on the results, thermal treatment temperatures of at least 400°C and a holding time of 7-10 days are recommended for reaching local and federal PFAS soil standards. The energy requirement to treat typical wet soil ranges from 300 to 400 kWh per cubic yard, exclusive of heat losses which are scale dependent. Extracted vapors have typically been treated using condensation and granular activated charcoal filtration, with thermal and catalytic oxidation as another option which is currently being evaluated for field scale applications. Compared to other options such as soil washing, the ability to treat on site and to treat all soil fractions is an advantage.

Related Article(s):

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
• Thermal Conduction Heating (TCH)

Contributors: Gorm Heron, Emily Crownover, Patrick Joyce, Ramona Iery

Key Resource:

• Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances thermal desorption evaluation

Introduction

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have become prominent emerging contaminants in soil and groundwater. Soil source zones have been identified at locations where the chemicals were produced, handled or used. Few effective options exist for treatments that can meet local and federal soil standards. Over the past 30 plus years, thermal remediation technologies have grown from experimental and innovative prospects to mature and accepted solutions deployed effectively at many sites. More than 600 thermal case studies have been summarized by Horst and colleagues. Thermal Conduction Heating (TCH) has been used for higher temperature applications such as removal of 1,4-Dioxane. This article reports recent experience with TCH treatment of PFAS-impacted soil.

Target Temperature and Duration

PFAS behave differently from most other organics subjected to TCH treatment. While the boiling points of individual PFAS fall in the range of 150-400°C, their chemical and physical behavior creates additional challenges. Some PFAS form ionic species in certain pH ranges and salts under other chemical conditions. This intricate behavior and our limited understanding of what this means for our ability to remove the PFAS from soils means that direct testing of thermal treatment options is warranted. Crownover and colleagues subjected PFAS-laden soil to bench-scale heating to temperatures between 200 and 400°C which showed strong reductions of PFAS concentrations at 350°C and complete removal of many PFAS compounds at 400°C. The soil concentrations of targeted PFAS were reduced to nearly undetectable levels in this study.

Heating Method

For semi-volatile compounds such as dioxins, furans, poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), thermal conduction heating has evolved as the dominant thermal technology because it is capable of achieving soil temperatures higher than the boiling point of water, which are necessary for complete removal of these organic compounds. Temperatures between 200 and 500°C have been required to achieve the desired reduction in contaminant concentrations. TCH has become a popular technology for PFAS treatment because temperatures in the 400°C range are needed.

The energy source for TCH can be electricity (most commonly used), or fossil fuels (typically gas, diesel or fuel oil). Electrically powered TCH offers the largest flexibility for power input which also can be supplied by renewable and sustainable energy sources.

Energy Usage

Treating PFAS-impacted soil with heat requires energy to first bring the soil and porewater to the boiling point of water, then to evaporate the porewater until the soil is dry, and finally to heat the dry soil up to the target treatment temperature. The energy demand for wet soils falls in the 300-400 kWh/cy range, dependent on porosity and water saturation. Additional energy is consumed as heat is lost to the surroundings and by vapor treatment equipment, yielding a typical usage of 400-600 kWh/cy total for larger soil treatment volumes. Wetter soils and small treatment volumes drive the energy usage towards the higher number, whereas larger soil volumes and dry soil can be treated with less energy.

Vapor Treatment

During the TCH process a significant fraction of the PFAS compounds are volatilized by the heat and then removed from the soil by vacuum extraction. The vapors must be treated and eventually discharged while meeting local and/or federal standards. Two types of vapor treatment have been used in past TCH applications for organics: (1) thermal and catalytic oxidation and (2) condensation followed by granular activated charcoal (GAC) filtration. Due to uncertainties related to thermal destruction of fluorinated compounds and future requirements for treatment temperature and residence time, condensation and GAC filtration have been used in the first three PFAS treatment field demonstrations. It should be noted that PFAS compounds will stick to surfaces and that decontamination of the equipment is important. This could generate additional waste as GAC vessels, pipes and other wetted equipment need careful cleaning with solvents or rinsing agents such as PerfluorAd^TM.

PFAS Reactivity and Fate

While evaluating initial soil treatment results, Crownover et al noted the lack of complete data sets when the soils were analyzed for non-targeted compounds or extractable precursors. Attempts to establish the fluorine balance suggest that the final fate of the fluorine in the PFAS is not yet fully understood. Transformations are likely occurring in the heated soil as demonstrated in laboratory experiments with and without calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) amendment. Amendments such as Ca(OH)₂ may be useful in reducing the required treatment temperature by catalyzing PFAS degradation. With thousands of PFAS potentially present, the interactions are complex and may never be fully understood. Therefore, successful thermal treatment may require a higher target temperature than for other organics with similar boiling points – simply to provide a buffer against the uncertainty.

Case Studies

Stockpile Treatment, Eielson AFB, Alaska (ESTCP project ER20-5198)

Figure 1. TCH treatment of a PFAS-laden stockpile at Eielson AFB, Alaska

Since there has been no approved or widely accepted method for treating soils impacted by PFAS, a common practice has been to excavate PFAS-impacted soil and place it in lined stockpiles. Eielson AFB in Alaska is an example where approximately 50 stockpiles were constructed to temporarily store 150,000 cubic yards of soil. One of the stockpiles containing 134 cubic yards of PFAS-impacted soil was heated to 350-450°C over 90 days (Figure 1). Volatilized PFAS was extracted from the soil using vacuum extraction and treated via condensation and filtration by granular activated charcoal. Under field conditions, PFAS concentration reductions from 230 µg/kg to below 0.5 µg/kg were demonstrated for soils that reached 400°C or higher for 7 days. These soils achieved the Alaska soil standards of 3 µg/kg for PFOS and 1.7 µg/kg for PFOA. Cooler soils near the top of the stockpile had remaining PFOS in the range of 0.5-20 µg/kg with an overall average of 4.1 µg/kg. Sampling of all soils heated to 400°C or higher demonstrated that the soils achieved undetectable levels of targeted PFAS (typical reporting limit was 0.5 µg/kg).

In situ Vadose Zone Treatment, Beale AFB, California (ESTCP project ER20-5250)

Figure 2. In situ TCH treatment of a PFAS-rich vadose zone hotspot at Beale AFB, California

A former fire-training area at Beale AFB had PFAS concentrations as high as 1,970 µg/kg in shallow soils. In situ treatment of a PFAS-rich soil was demonstrated using 16 TCH borings installed in the source area to a depth of 18 ft (Figure 2). Soils which reached the target temperatures were reduced to PFAS concentrations below 1 µg/kg. Perched water which entered in one side of the area delayed heating in that area, and soils which were affected had more modest PFAS concentration reductions. As a lesson learned, future in situ TCH treatments will include provisions for minimizing water entering the treated volume. It was demonstrated that with proper water management, even highly impacted soils can be treated to near non-detect concentrations (greater than 99% reduction).

Constructed Pile Treatment, JBER, Alaska (ESTCP Project ER23-8369)

Figure 3. Treatment of a 2,000 cubic yard soil pile at JBER, Alaska

In 2024, a stockpile of 2,000 cubic yards of PFAS-impacted soil was thermally treated at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska. This ESTCP project was implemented in partnership with DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Three technology demonstrations were conducted at the site where approximately 6,000 cy of PFAS-impacted soil was treated (TCH, smoldering and kiln-style thermal desorption). Figure 3 shows the fully constructed pile used for the TCH demonstration. In August 2024 the soil temperature for the TCH treatment exceeded 400°C in all monitoring locations. At an energy density of 355 kWh/cy, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) standards and EPA Residential Regional Screening Levels (RSLs) for PFAS in soil were achieved. At JBER, all 30 post-treatment soil samples were near or below detection limits for all targeted PFAS compounds using EPA Method 1633. The composite of all 30 soil samples was below all detection limits for EPA Method 1633. Detection limits ranged from 0.0052 µg/kg to 0.19 µg/kg.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Thermal treatment of PFAS in soils is energy intensive, and the cost of that energy may be prohibitive for some clients. Also, while it often is the least costly option for complete PFAS removal when compared to excavation followed by offsite disposal or destruction, heating soil to treatment temperatures on site or in situ typically takes longer than excavation. Major advantages include:

• On site or in situ treatment eliminates the need to transport and dispose of the contaminated soil
• Site liabilities are removed once and for all
• Treatment costs are competitive with excavation, transportation and off-site treatment or disposal.

Recommendations

Recent research suggests:

• Successful thermal treatment of PFAS may require a higher target temperature than for other organics with similar boiling points
• Prevention of influx of water into treatment zone may be necessary.

Future studies should examine the potential for enhanced degradation during the thermal process by using soil amendments and/or manipulation of the local geochemistry to reduce the required treatment temperatures and therefore also reduce energy demand.