Superfund Research Program

March 2018

EnChem Engineering, Inc.

As part of an SRP small business project, researchers at EnChem Engineering, Inc. are developing a technology to expedite removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from soil and groundwater.

Technology EnChem uses a two-phase process to remove PFAS from saturated soil and groundwater at Superfund sites. The process combines treatments that are both in situ, where the contamination is found, and ex situ, after it has been pumped out of the soil. Their approach involves flushing PFAS from the in situ saturated soil and groundwater with a non-toxic complexing agent using a proprietary process known as XCT (Extra Contact Technology). They then extract the PFAS-complex with groundwater and treat it in an ex situ reactor that destroys the PFAS-complex on-site using a proprietary chemical oxidation technology, OxyZone. The treated water is then returned with a low concentration of complexing agent back to the groundwater injection wells for continued flushing.
Innovation The innovative combined in situ/ex situ technology expedites treatment of PFAS at Superfund sites in a cost-effective manner.
Contaminant and Media PFAS and other co-contaminants in soil and groundwater
Principal Investigator Raymond Ball, Ph.D.
Institution EnChem Engineering, Inc.
Grant Number R43ES028649