New study shows that immobilization reduces the bioavailability of PFAS in soil
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Dr Sali Biek and her team in the laboratory of Professor Andy Ball at RMIT University has published new data in Environmental Science and Pollution Research showing that the uptake of PFAS by grasses is significantly reduced when soil is immobilized using RemBind. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32496-7)
This data adds to a growing body of evidence that immobilization is a viable and environmentally friendly method for the management of PFAS impacted soils. Previous studies showed that RemBind significantly reduced the bioavailability of PFAS in mice (Juhasz et al., 2022) and in plants and earthworms (Braunig et al., 2021).
Methods to Determine Bioavailability and Ecotoxicity
In this mesocosm study, PFAS-contaminated soil with a mean total concentration of 8.05 mg/kg and a mean combined PFHxS+PFOS concentration of 7.89 mg/kg was treated with an immobilisation sorbent (RemBind) at different application rates (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, and 5% w/w).
To assess the efficacy of this immobilisation treatment, PFAS leachability, PFAS plant uptake, and ecotoxicity tests were conducted. Leachability testing was performed according to the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure (ASLP) at pH 5 and 7. A grass species (Dactylis glomerata) was used to measure plant uptake of PFAS from untreated and treated contaminated soil. In addition, the Microtox test was used to assess the associated ecotoxicity.
Decrease in Bioavailability
The immobilisation treatment resulted in a significant reduction of 88.5 to 99.8% in the total PFAS leachability and 88.7 to 99.8% in the combined PFOS and PFHxS leachability at pH 5. Similarly, significant reductions (5 to 12-fold) were observed in the plant uptake of total PFAS and combined PFOS and PFHxS in all treated soil samples.
Decrease in Ecotoxicity
In addition, although the Microtox test showed relatively low ecotoxicity in all the experimental samples, including the untreated soil, a significant decrease in the ecotoxicity of treated soil samples was observed.
Conclusions of the Study
The results from this study highlight that this treatment approach has the potential to reduce both PFAS leachability and plant bioavailability with a relatively low associated ecotoxicity. This is likely to reduce the risk of the transfer of PFAS into higher trophic levels.
This immobilisation treatment may, therefore, reduce the risk associated with PFAS-contaminated soils and may be an important remediation tool for managing certain PFAS-contaminated soils.
Juhasz, A, Kastury, F, Herde C, Tang, W. Application of soil amendments for reducing PFAS leachability and bioavailability. Environmental Pollution 2022: Vol. 307, 119498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119498
Braunig J, Baduel C, Barnes CM, Mueller JF. Sorbent assisted immobilisation of perfuoroalkyl acids in soils effect on leaching and bioavailability. Journal of Hazard Materials 2021:125171. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125171
Tight Tech Tuesday presents not only tight, but sustainable as well as effective water treatment for construction process water
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Good Morning Malmö, Sweden. We won’t only love your show during Eurovision in May, but everyday from now on.
We are proud to have the trust of our client Sjöbo Schakt, carrying out construction and remediation works in central Malmö. As in most citys, the ground is contaminated with metals and petroleum hydrocarbons found in both the soil and groundwater. As the main part of the metal contamination is particle bound, an effective removal of suspended solids solves this problem.
This water treatment plant is designed to handle the requested flow of 40 m3/h, and the set up is an Envy blue line with an incoming buffer tank, a two stage mixer tank followed by two lamellas with rake and automatic sludge pumps. The mixer is equipped with with a automatic and flow proportional dosing System for flocculation and precipitation chemicals. It also has an automatic pH controlled additive system for CO2 in case pH drops.
The lamellas are equipped with rakes to make sure the settled sludge don’t stick to the sides, but reach the bottom hopper, where sludge pumps can transfer the sludge for sustainable, cheap and easy dewatering. Forget expensive vacuum trucks carrying large volumes of watery sludge through the city. Say hello to 1m3 of of dry matter per 2-3 months, that can be put on any truck and received at any soil handling plant with the right permits.
Now that’s not only blue, but pretty beautiful sustainable green too 💚
For more information on the project and our possibilities, contact project manager Erik Löfgren
Envytech are happy to welcome REWALBI Miljöteknik into the family
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Rewalbi will join the Envytech crew and our mission to perform state of the art water treatment, world class style. So in short, we just put on some extra muscle mass, and we look forward to see what we can do together.
Sortera strengthens its position within water treatment through the acquisition of REWALBI
Sortera, a leader within collection, recycling, processing, and the sale of residual products from the building and construction sector in Northern Europe, strengthens its offering in water treatment and reception of polluted water through the acquisition of REWALBI Miljöteknik AB.
Sortera, through the business area Water Treatment and under the Envytech brand, has a leading position in water treatment in Sweden and Northern Europe, with unique expertise in the remediation of PFAS-contaminated water. The acquisition of REWALBI complements Sortera’s existing offering, as REWALBI has a strong position in western Sweden within both mobile and permanent water treatment equipment. With the acquisition of REWALBI, Sortera continues to build its presence within water treatment which serves as a strong foundation for further growth, both nationally and internationally.
”The acquisition of REWALBI is an important milestone for Sortera and another building block for our strategy to strengthen and broaden our offering in water treatment. REWALBI has grown impressively and in a short time established itself as a leading player in mobile water treatment. With our joint offering, we will be able to offer our customers even more efficient and sustainable solutions to meet their increased demands for treatment and remediation of contaminated water,” says Sebastian Wessman, CEO of Sortera.
”We are excited to become part of Sortera and look forward to combining our strengths to drive innovation in water treatment. Becoming a part of Sortera gives us a stronger platform for continued growth and the opportunity to reach even more customers with our services. We are confident that this will strengthen our position in the market and enable us to offer even more advanced solutions,” says Nicklas Lokander, CEO and co-founder of REWALBI.
The acquisition of REWALBI is Sortera’s acquisition number 21 since Sortera was founded in 2006. REWALBI has 14 employees and a turnover of just over SEK 50 million. With the new acquisition, Sortera’s turnover will increases to SEK 3.2 billion. REWALBI is part of Sortera from 1 February 2024.
ABOUT REWALBI MILJÖTEKNIK AB REWALBI provides mobile water treatment plants for treatment of contaminated water from industrial remediation as well as from the construction and civil engineering industry in western Sweden. It also operates a reception facility in Gothenburg for polluted water from stormwater pipes, oil separators, washing halls and other industries. https://rewalbi.se/
ABOUT SORTERA Sortera is a leading company with a strong Nordic heritage within collection, recycling, processing and sale of residual products of construction waste. Sortera provides solutions that contribute to increased sustainability and improved environmental performance in all areas. With more than 900 employees and a turnover of SEK 3.2 billion, Sortera covers the entire value chain from collection, sorting, treatment and disposal. Every day, Sortera performs services that make a difference to the environment and for thousands of companies and individuals in Northern Europe. www.sortera.se
2nd Annual #H2020 SCENARIOS Project EU meeting in Athens, Greece is ON! Let the #PFAS results begin to flow! 👌👏🇬🇷
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Alright! 11 Work packages are on site in Athens to present the work carried out under the 2 year period we have been involved. On site, proudly representing the Envytech team, is Say Svanström, project manager WP7 and pilot site officer, and Helena Hinrichsen, work packages leader WP7, Scenarios project. The work packages that this meeting is focusing on, as these packages have retrieved innovative and substantial amounts of results are:
WP2 FORTH: Innovative analytical methods for detection and monitoring of PFAS.
WP3 BGU: Environmental fate of PFAS.
WP4 BFR: Environmental and human risk assessment of PFAS.
WP6: FORTH: Innovative nearly zero energy remediation solutions.
WP7: Envytech: Validation and demonstration of Sustainable remediation approaches for PFAS.
Now that is an agenda we find Extremely interesting! 💣💥
Sustainable, ”no waste” removal of both long and short chain PFAS at Korsör ground zero in Denmark
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Many have, as the expression says ”broken the code” for treating PFAS in water. But almost always, one forget to mention the costs associated with the code breaking, and most important of all, how much waste it produces, what happens to that waste, and how much the waste handling cost. We can do anything with unlimited funds. A new Swede just landed on the moon for example.
The challenge is to do it in a sustainable, effective and economic way. And most importantly, we need to stop the PFAS from returning to the environment . This and much more is the aim of the Horizon 2020 SCENARIOS Project EU.
Check out the status of the project laid out by our PFASionista and CCO PFAS Helena.
Tight Tech Tuesday presents: A north of the wall, mid winter, in-situ treatment to stop spreading of petroleum hydrocarbons
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Forget your Goretex jacket and leather gloves. Think John Snow outfit, in Game of Thrones. Because that is what our in-situ team had to experience while installing an in-situ barrier to prevent spreading of a petroleum contamination in Unbyn, Boden Council, North Sweden in December 2023.
Yes, we know, it’s madness performing in-situ works using liquids in this region at this time of year. But when a client is in need, we rise to the challenge.
And as the temperature dropped below -20 degree C, the team steamed on, 3 drilling rigs working parallel to make it before the project deadline.
In a period of 3 weeks, we managed to inject a total of 67 500 litres of ORC Advanced and Petrofix by REGENESIS Remediation Solutions , in no less then 72 injection points. By doing so, we created a barrier preventing / stopping the spreading of petroleum contamination from the site.
As the client runs an active petrol station at the site, meeting the EPA initial demands of full-scale remediation, would not only have cost a lot of money, but would possibly be made in vain. This as an active site always poses the risk of suffering from leaking of contaminants. Instead, we helped the client re-negotiate the demands, and to install a barrier, keeping any ongoing or future contamination within the site. A smart, tight, and effective solution. Just the way we like it. And a big high 5 and job very well done to the whole team 👌👊👏
For detailed information on the project, our in situ treatment options or how we can help with communication with EPAs, please contact our project manager and CCO in-situ Say Svanström
Tight Tech Tuesday brings you WOW! Tight and effective pre-treatment followed by effective media filters
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Let us present our newest tool in our water treatment toolbox: Our super compact, super effective and super water – as well as service – saving pre-media filter treatment.
In a winter fairy tale filmed at our very appreciated client Mälarenergi, one can see our treatment set up for water coming from a surface water collection pond, offering water with suspended particles, organics, metals and dissolved PAHs.
The incoming water passes through a particle filtration unit that automatically back washed itself every 2 hours. The water needed to back wash this tight filter is minimal due to a clever invention, and the flush is completely automated. no service crew needed.
This solution have outperformed our previous SS removal trial with flocculation and precipitation followed by a glass filter media. The water was changing to often, to much for this to be a suitable solution.
The particle free water is then passed through an activated carbon filter for removal of PAHs and organics, before entering an anion exchange filter for removal of dissolved metals.
And Voila! One unexpectedly tricky water cleaned down below discharge criteria.
For more info on the project and our solutions, please contact project manager Robin Axelson
Also, a big high five and well done 👌👏 to our technician Martin Jepsen for a super smooth installation and service works..
Tight Tech Tuesday presents a tight description of what PFAS water treatment solution to use for PFAS contaminated ground waters.
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Challenge: Non complex water with no co-contaminants, and low to medium PFAS levels, and low levels of suspended particles and organics.
Solution: Step 1: A smart pre treatment step, with a smart cleaning procedure, for removal of fine suspended particles. Think outside the old fashioned sand filter solution please, we do!
Step 2: PFAS specific Ion exchange mass (AIX), contained in pressurized filter vessels that are connected in series.
Incoming water passes the pre filter where suspended solids are polished away. A very important step to maximize the life span of the expensive AIX media, that follows.
The AIX media is installed in a two step treatment process called lead and lag filter. The PFAS is adsorbed and removed from the water in the first AIX vessel, and the second vessel handles any PFAS that desorb from the first step, something that has been noted to happen as short chain PFAS – the princesses of all contaminants – don’t like crowded areas. So together the two filters in series maximizes the capacity of the AIX filter volumes.
– And if you have organics in the water, low to medium levels, a filter vessel containing activated carbon can be used after the particle treatment step, to save the sensitive AIX media from clogging.
This solution is for us, an off the shelf product that we are ready to install where ever needed, and can handle flows from above 0 and up. The size of the vessels and volumes of medias is what will vary. As well as sizes of pumps and pipes.
Mighty Treatment Tech for THE Mightiest construction site
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Tight Tech Tuesday presents the official trailer of ”Mighty Treatment Tech for THE Mightiest construction site”
Alright! We have known about this project for a little while now internally, but now you too can reserve seats and bring out the popcorn 🍿. Cannes film festival be bygone. The upcoming projects that we are to present beats any tiny man named Oscar.
This first trailer shows the establishment of our latest dreamy blue, state of the art treatment gear for handling flows of ca 25 m3/h of construction site surface water runoff mixed with groundwater water.
Flocculation and precipitation chemicals are added automatically and flow proportional in a two stage mixer, bringing any fines into removable sized flocks. Problem with pH? No worries, this is also handled automatically if the sensors show the need. The particles settle out in lamella clarifiers, and the sludge is transferred by automatic sludge pumps and deposited into geotubes for de-watering. A Cheap, easy and effective way of minimising/eliminating the need of vacuum trucks.
The last particles are polished of by activated glass filter media, and any organic contaminants and PFAS are removed as the water passes vessels with activated carbon filters.
If dissolved metals show up on the guest list? Not a problem, these are easily removed by a specific flocculation chemical added in the mixer stage or by anion exchange resins as a last step before release to the recipient.
And Tada 🎉 A water meeting all target criteria.
For the possibility of indulging in dramatic treatment data and action scenes of live treatment, make sure not to miss the premier a little while away, where we get to name the lead actors and place of the scene. And for even more jaw dropping tech set ups, using several first time in Sweden water tech, make sure to follow us on here on LinkedIn. We can hardly believe that we have the opportunity to perform these projects, so we believe you too will enjoy the show(s – 3 actually!!) To be continued…
Tight Tech Tuesday enjoys effective, tight, dreamy blue dewatering of jet grouting back wash water
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We are right where we want to be, amongst muddy complex water and sludge, and we thank our impressive client OHLA for the opportunity and trust to treat this demanding ”water”
The source of the sludge comes from jet grouting performed by KELLER where cement is injected into the ground, and the sludge reject that comes back up is deposited in sedimentation ponds. The water in the ponds are then pump to our system for polishing.
The recipe / design for these works start with a reaction tank where flocculation and precipitation chemicals are added with automatic and flow proportional. The chemicals cause removal of suspended solids, but also transforms chromium6 to chromium3, as well as adjust pH.
The water flows with gravity to a lamella clarifier where sludge and and metals are removed. The sludge is automatically pumped back to the sedimentation ponds for storage until excavated and removed for landfill. A step that together with the water treatment minimises not only the wet waste for deposit, but also all transportation and cost that comes with it.
Neat, Tight, Efficient. Just the way we like it.
For more information, contact our Master of design Victor Steffansson or project manager Robin Axelson
First SAFF project in Denmark to treat PFAS contaminated water at ”Ground Zero”, Korsör Fire Fighting school
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Congratulations Denmark! You have just received your first SAFF – Surface Active Foam Fractionation unit. And we can’t wait to show all who is interested the capabilities as well as sustainable, effective and economic PFAS water treatment technology by EPOC Enviro – and results as they come in.
The commissioning of the SAFF is a part of the Horizon2020 SCENARIOS Project EU. A project where EU has granted 3 teams to evaluate ”all” in regards of PFAS entering routes to the environment, routes of transport in the environment, toxicity, effect on human and environmental health and much more, as well as evaluation of sustainable and economic remediation and destruction methods. In short, the project is described as EUs take on being best in the world at PFAS. And Envytech Solutions AB is an important part of the project, both supplying the SAFF technology as well as managing the role as team leader for Work packages 7 – Remediation.
The treatment uses no consumables such as filter medias or chemicals, and remove up to 99,9% of PFAS6 compounds, as well as some shorter chain compounds. However, as research by incredible biotech company and Envytech partner Allonnia, show potential of additives to further enhance the removal efficiency of short chain PFAS in the SAFF, we will be adding different amendments and research their potential to increase SAFF removal efficiency.
The unit on site is a SAFF20 unit with treatment capacity of 7-12 m3/h, depending on the water. SAFF20 has the capacity to perform 2 concentration steps (up to 500 000 times), producing minimal waste, only using 0,7 kwh/m3 treated water. A difference to the SAFF40 system, being able to achieve concentration factors of up to 2,5 M times.
The unit will stay on site until July 2024. Visits to the plant, as well as information seminars will be organised throughout the whole treatment period, as soon as the plant is tuned in and results arrive.
So if interested in our system, solutions and the Horizon project. Keep following us on LinkedIn, and contact us for information and for interest in seeing the unit. It will be worth the time, and as we all now, ALL becomes better with bubbles 😇🫧
See you at Aquatech November 6
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Want to talk remediation, destruction and stabilisation of PFAS? In-situ treatment of 1,4 Dioxande and robust, small footprint nitrate and ammonia water treatment – Full scale and commercially available technologies.
Visit the Envytech crew (together with Cornelsen Ltd.) in booth 07.706 at the Aquatech exhibition in Amsterdam 6–9 November. We look forward to seeing you!
