A Cost Comparison of Pump‐and‐Treat and In-Situ Colloidal Activated Carbon for PFAS Plume Management

Article highlights:

• CAC barriers can reduce total remediation costs compared to P&T systems, with projected savings of more than 60% over 30 years ($7.2 million vs. $19 million)
• Unlike P&T, which requires continuous energy input, CAC barriers leverage natural groundwater flow, eliminating operational and maintenance costs.
• CAC systems capture and contain PFAS underground without generating secondary PFAS waste, unlike P&T systems that produce contaminated filtration media requiring disposal.
• The article highlights that P&T systems are unlikely to achieve aquifer cleanup within 100 years, making them unsuitable as long-term solutions for PFAS remediation.

In this article published in Remediation Journal, Jeremy Birnstingl, PhD, Vice President of Environmental Technology at REGENESIS, and John Wilson, PhD, Principal Scientist at Scissortail Environmental Solutions, present a compelling analysis of the costs and effectiveness of in situ colloidal activated carbon (CAC) barriers versus traditional hydraulic containment systems, commonly known as pump-and-treat (P&T). Using data from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, the authors demonstrate how REGENESIS’s innovative CAC technology offers significant advantages over P&T for treating PFAS-contaminated groundwater, both in cost and long-term sustainability.