The Need for Sustainable PFAS Remediation: A Lifecycle Study by Ramboll Comparing the Environmental Impact of In-Situ Sequestration to Pump and Treat

• Ramboll’s life cycle comparison found PlumeStop to be > 95% more sustainable than a pump and treat solution
• Use of colloidal activated carbon (CAC) requires no operational energy or maintenance, and avoids production of PFAS-saturated waste
• A PlumeStop solution is 61-65% lower in cost as compared to an ex situ treatment approach

This webinar provides a comparison of the environmental impact of long-term in situ sequestration using CAC to pump & treat for PFAS treatment. To quantify the sustainability of this in situ approach, leading global engineering and consulting firm, Ramboll completed a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) on the CAC material, with boundaries encompassing ‘cradle to grave’: considering upstream material sourcing, core manufacturing processes and the downstream processes of transport and injection. The LCA was undertaken according to ISO14044/ISO14025 by using GaBi Professional software in order to meet EN15804 standards to create an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Next, the environmental impact of an actual CAC application downgradient of the PFAS source at a commercial airport was analysed. A comparative analysis was conducted by designing an alternative “pump and treat” system using two filtration techniques and assessing its environmental impact using GaBi Professional software. Additionally, a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) was completed using net present value. Finally, a Tier 2 sustainability assessment using Ramboll’s SURE model, considering 15 sustainability indicators, was completed for each remedial approach.