Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering Seminar Series

Virtual seminar link: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/96156963811?pwd=QVRwSmlRZ1lqWm1xL0JVcG9RWC9Zdz09

Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have received increasing attention both in politics and science during the recent decade. PFASs are extremely persistent, and potentially bioaccumulative and toxic. PFASs affect the environment through the use of aqueous firefighting foam (AFFF) at fire training facilities at airports and waste facilities such as wastewater treatment plants and landfills and have been discovered in high concentrations in drinking water in Sweden and around the world. However, cost-efficient treatment and
remediation techniques are lacking. The overall aim of our research is to develop next generation treatment techniques of PFASs in landfill leachate, wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater. In our research group, different types of treatment techniques are evaluated in laboratory- and pilot-scale including approaches using immobilization/stabilization (i.e. granular activated carbon (GAC), anion exchange (AIX)), separation (i.e. nanofiltration (NF), electrodialytic remediation, phytoremediation, foam fractionation), and destruction (i.e. electrochemical, biological treatment). Overall, improvements are needed in separation and destruction treatment technologies to improve their effectiveness for the broad suite of PFASs to become viable treatment options in the future.

Biography: Lutz Ahrens is an Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry in the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden. He joined the university in 2012 after two postdoctoral research experiences in Germany and Canada and after receiving his PhD degree in 2009 in Germany. Dr. Ahrens’ research program focuses on the detection and remediation of emerging organic contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).