In situ PFAS remediation in the snow: the application and validation results of a PlumeStop barrier installed at a Swedish airport

Language: English
Presenter:  Helena Nord (Sheeba Environmental Engineering A.B.) and Sarah Hughes (REGENESIS)

In this webinar, guest speaker Helena Nord, Technical Specialist Soil and Groundwater Remediation of Sheeba Environmental Engineering A.B. and Sarah Hughes, REGENESIS District Manager for the UK and Scandinavia, discussed the site conditions, application works and the latest validation from the in situ treatment of a PFAS plume in north-eastern Sweden. 

Resulting from the use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) on a fire training area at the edge of the airport, a large PFAS plume was impacting the downgradient aquifer and surface water. A 70m-long PlumeStop barrier was installed in the forest by the fire training area to prevent further migration of the PFAS. This involved five injection rigs working in cold conditions for nine weeks. 

Validation sampling shows dramatic reductions in the PFAS contamination within the barrier and monitoring wells up to 65m downgradient of the treatment. These reductions have been maintained and downgradient concentrations continue to decrease as monitoring continues. 

The key points covered: 

• Explanation of the geology and hydrogeological setting at the site 
• Installation works, including: 
  • injection testing 
  • application zone confirmation and design configuration 
  • multiple-injection rig management 
  • injectate placement validation testing and resultant actions 
  • real-time data management and reporting 

• Validation testing to date

This project was completed on behalf of the Geological Survey of Sweden and Swedish Geotechnical Institute and financed through the Government of Sweden’s Grant no. 1:4 for Remediation and Restoration of Contaminated Sites. The consultants were Sellén & Filipovic and Sheeba, and project delivery by Granitor. 

About the presenters:

Helena Nord
Technical Specialist Soil and Groundwater Remediation | Sheeba Environmental Engineering A.B.

Helena has 15 years of experience in the remediation industry, with more than 10 years focus on in situ remediation, working as a remediation contractor with a wide experience of in situ technologies, contaminants and design and build projects. Today she works as a remediation design specialist and in R&D of treatment technologies, identifying and adapting these for Scandinavian projects. She is a well-known presenter at conferences, courses and webinars and holds a MSc in soil science from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Sarah Hughes
District Manager, UK & Scandinavia | REGENESIS

Sarah is the District Manager for the UK and Scandinavian regions at REGENESIS. She works closely with the company’s talented technical & remediation services teams to deliver innovative in situ remediation solutions for soil and groundwater. With over seven years of experience in the consultancy and remediation sectors, Sarah has a strong background in designing and supervising site investigations, developing in situ remediation designs, and managing large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects across the UK and Scandinavia.