SERDP and ESTCP Webinar: Managing AFFF Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 1)
This SERDP and ESTCP webinar presents novel technologies to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from groundwater and to develop high-performing PFAS-free fire-fighting foams. Specifically, investigators will discuss the development and optimization of cyclodextrin-based adsorbents to remove PFAS from groundwater, and the optimization of compressed air foam (CAF) and ultra-high pressure (UHF) foam delivery systems to improve the quality of commercial, off-the-shelf PFAS-free foams that meet stringent military specifications.
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Webinar #120 (10/08/2020)
Managing AFFF Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment
of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 1)
Dr. Damian Helbling, Cornell University
Dr. Satya Chauhan, Battelle Memorial Institute
October 8, 2020
12:00 PM ET (9:00 AM PT)
Abstracts
“Novel Cyclodextrin-Based Adsorbents to Remove Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Water” by Dr. Damian Helbling ( SERDP Project Webpage)
AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) formulations have been used for decades to suppress hydrocarbon fuel-based fires at Department of Defense facilities. PFAS are key constituents of AFFF, and PFAS occurrence in groundwater at many of DoD facilities has been widely reported. Developing cost-effective remediation strategies to remove PFAS from groundwater is challenging. As part of this SERDP-funded effort, we have developed a promising class of cyclodextrin-based adsorbents that can be rationally designed to target specific types of pollutants. This webinar will highlight the evolution of our cyclodextrin-based adsorbents and describe current advances in this emerging technology. We have optimized these adsorbents to obtain high affinity for a variety of PFAS including those with varying chain length, hydrophilic head groups and charge state. We have characterized the performance of these adsorbents in a variety of groundwater matrices and have benchmarked their performance against a variety of more conventional adsorbent materials. A startup company has been formed to manufacture and commercialize the most promising cyclodextrin-based adsorbents for implementation in groundwater remediation processes.
“Assessment, Optimization, and Demonstration of PFAS-Free AFFF alternatives against Military Specifications” by Dr. Satya Chauhan ( ESTCP Project Webpage)
This ESTCP-funded project is aimed at experimentally determining where commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS), PFAS-free foam formulations fall short of stringent military specifications (MIL-PRF-24385F) and to determine if alternative PFAS-free foam-delivery firefighting technology and/or minor chemical modifications can improve their performance.
Although there are many PFAS-free COTS foams available, none have been shown to meet the Mil Spec, especially the performance specifications for fire extinguishment time. PFAS-containing foams (AFFF) are expected to be phased out beginning in October 2023, per the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Therefore, identifying workable foam replacements is critical. This project focuses on optimizing and demonstrating firefighting performance employing CAF and UHP foam-delivery systems. These commonly available firefighting engineering technologies have been shown to improve foam quality, which is expected to reduce the fire extinguishment time and increase the burnback time. The webinar will present initial test results which show promise towards meeting DoD goals of eliminating fluorinated compounds in fire suppressants for fighting Type-B (hydrocarbon) fires.
Speaker Biographies

Dr. Damian Helbling is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University in New York. Dr. Helbling’s current research focuses on the occurrence and fate of organic chemicals in natural and engineered water systems. In particular, the goals of his work are to improve our understanding of the breadth of organic chemical contaminants that may occur in aquatic environments, evaluate the determinants of environmental persistence of organic chemical contaminants, and develop new remediation technologies for the removal of organic chemical contaminants from water. Dr. Helbling has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed research papers. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and master's and doctoral degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Satya Chauhan is a senior program director at the Battelle Memorial Institute, in Columbus, Ohio. He has over 40 years of experience in developing, demonstrating and commercializing green products, processes and energy. His work has also focused on pollution prevention in water and wastewater systems, with applications in aerospace, mining and minerals processing, food processing, surface finishing and chemical industries. Dr. Chauhan is currently leading efforts at Battelle to develop and demonstrate PFAS-free fire suppressants for aerospace applications, environmentally-friendly deicers, and alternative fuels with low greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Chauhan has over 200 publications, 26 US patents, and over 50 international patents. He is the recipient of the 2020 Battelle Inventor-of-the-Year award. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and an Master of Business Administration degree from Ohio State University.
Past Webinars
- Installation Energy and Water (17)
- 07/09/2020 - Securing DoD Control Systems and Infrastructure from Cyber Threats
- 02/06/2020 - Battery Storage Resiliency Results from Installation Microgrid Simulations and Opportunities for Field Demonstration
- 01/14/2020 - Improving Energy Efficiency through Advanced Building Controls
- 08/08/2019 - Building Energy and Water Efficiency Solutions
- 02/21/2019 - Utilization of Advanced Conservation Voltage Reduction for Energy Reduction on DoD Installations
- 07/12/2018 - Innovative Low-Cost Building Automation Sensors and Controls
- 03/22/2018 - Cloud Computing Services for DoD - We Are Going to The Cloud!
- 11/16/2017 - Building Envelope Technologies
- 06/15/2017 - Coupling Geothermal Heat Pumps with Underground Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage
- 04/20/2017 - Solutions for Installations' Participation in Energy Markets
- 01/12/2017 - Award Winning Projects: Energy and Water
- 10/06/2016 - Cyber Security and its Impacts on Installation Energy Management
- 07/14/2016 - Remote Methods for Water Conservation
- 05/05/2016 - Cost Effective and Resilient Building-Scale Microgrid Solutions for Increased Energy Security
- 10/15/2015 - LED-ing the Way: Sophisticated and Energy Efficient Exterior Lighting Systems for DoD Installations
- 02/19/2015 - Raise the Roof: Increased Rooftop Solar Efficiency Beyond Flat Panel PV
- 12/18/2014 - Energy Audits: From Clipboard to Cloud
- Environmental Restoration (50)
- 04/08/2021 - Advances in Understanding PFAS Ecological Risks
- 02/25/2021 - Managing Chlorinated Solvents in Groundwater Using Biological Treatment
- 01/28/2021 - Improved Approaches for PFAS Sampling and Treatment
- 01/20/2021 - Development of a Decision Support Tool for Vadose Zone Remediation of Volatile Contaminants
- 12/10/2020 - Approaches for Managing Contaminated Sediments
- 11/19/2020 - Abiotic Degradation of Chlorinated Solvents in Subsurface Environments
- 10/22/2020 - Managing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 2)
- 10/08/2020 - Managing AFFF Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 1)
- 07/23/2020 - PFAS Fate, Transport and Treatment
- 06/18/2020 - Advances in the Treatment of 1,4-Dioxane in Mixed Contaminant Plumes
- 05/07/2020 - Innovative Technologies for PFAS Destruction in Investigation Derived Wastes
- 04/09/2020 - Ecological Risk Assessment Approaches at PFAS-Impacted Sites
- 03/12/2020 - Applying Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis to Document Contaminant Degradation and Distinguish Sources
- 12/12/2019 - Advances in Remediating Groundwater Contaminated with Chlorinated Solvents
- 11/07/2019 - Status of SERDP and ESTCP Efforts on PFAS and Innovative Approaches for Treatment of Waste Derived from PFAS Subsurface Investigations
- 10/24/2019 - Advances in Managing Contaminated Groundwater Using High Resolution Site Characterization and Contaminant Mass Flux Reduction
- 10/17/2019 - Managing AFFF Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Commercially Available Fluorine-Free Foams
- 09/05/2019 - The Use of Advanced Molecular Biological Tools in Groundwater Contaminated with Chlorinated Solvents
- 06/20/2019 - Vapor Intrusion: Modeling Tools and Cost Effective Mitigation
- 05/23/2019 - Treatment Options for the Emerging Contaminants 1,2,3-Trichloropropane and 1,2-Dibromoethane
- 04/11/2019 - Managing Contaminated Sediments: Passive Sampling Methods and In Situ Treatment
- 02/07/2019 - The REMChlor-MD Groundwater Transport and Remediation Model for Sites with Matrix Diffusion
- 11/15/2018 - Stormwater Impacts on Sediment Recontamination
- 10/18/2018 - Restoration of Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Groundwater Sites: The Value of Information Challenge
- 10/04/2018 - Managing Groundwater Impacts at Chlorinated Solvent Sites
- 08/09/2018 - Energy Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Systems for Forward Operating DoD Installations
- 06/28/2018 - Managing Sites Impacted by 1,4-Dioxane: New Developments in Molecular Tools and Conceptual Site Models
- 09/07/2017 - Research and Development Needs for Management of DoD's PFAS Contaminated Sites
- 07/27/2017 - Management of Energetic and Propellant Material Releases on Testing and Training Ranges
- 05/18/2017 - High-Resolution Site Characterization at Chlorinated Solvents Sites
- 04/06/2017 - 1,4-Dioxane Impacts and Innovative Cleanup Technologies at DoD Contaminated Sites
- 03/09/2017 - Award Winning Projects: Environmental Restoration
- 02/23/2017 - Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Environmental Risks Posed by Munitions Constituents in Aquatic Systems
- 12/15/2016 - Advances in the Assessment and In Situ Treatment of Contaminated Sediments
- 11/03/2016 - Bioavailability of Contaminants of Concern in Soils at DoD-Impacted Sites
- 09/08/2016 - Practical Assessment and Optimization of Redox-Based Groundwater Remediation Technologies
- 07/28/2016 - Geophysics 101 – Realistic expectations for geophysics when used for site characterization and remediation monitoring - Part 2
- 06/30/2016 - Geophysics 101 – Realistic expectations for geophysics when used for site characterization and remediation monitoring - Part 1
- 06/02/2016 - Insensitive Munitions: Environmental Health Criteria, Fate and Transport
- 04/21/2016 - Long Term Monitoring Issues at Chlorinated Solvent Sites
- 01/28/2016 - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): Analytical and Characterization Frontiers
- 01/14/2016 - Vapor Intrusion: Regulatory Update and Advances in Assessment Tools
- 12/03/2015 - Emerging Contaminants: DoD Overview and State of Knowledge on Fluorochemicals and 1,4-Dioxane
- 10/29/2015 - Assessment and Treatment of Contaminated Sediments
- 08/20/2015 - Characterization and Remediation in Fractured Rock Environments
- 05/28/2015 - New Tools for Characterizing and Remediating Munitions and Energetics at Military Ranges
- 03/19/2015 - Quantitative Framework and Management Expectation Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation Approaches at Chlorinated Solvent Sites
- 01/08/2015 - DNAPL Source Zone Management Approaches
- 11/20/2014 - New Tools for Improving the Management of Contaminated Sediment Sites
- 10/30/2014 - Key Advances in Vapor Intrusion Assessments at Contaminated Sites
- Munitions Response (15)
- 02/11/2021 - Advances in the Detection of Submerged Unexploded Ordnance in Marine Environments
- 09/24/2020 - Munitions Mobility and Burial in Underwater Environments
- 04/23/2020 - Progress on Underwater Unexploded Ordnance Remediation
- 07/25/2019 - Understanding Underwater Munitions Mobility and Behavior on the Beach Face and in Shallow Muddy Environments
- 08/23/2018 - Sediment Volume Search Sonar Development
- 11/02/2017 - Platforms for Underwater and Near-Shore Munitions Surveys
- 06/01/2017 - Classification of Military Munitions using Electromagnetic Induction Data
- 02/09/2017 - Award Winning Projects: Munitions Response
- 06/16/2016 - Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for Advanced Geophysical Classification Investigations – Part 2
- 05/19/2016 - Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for Advanced Geophysical Classification Investigations – Part 1
- 02/25/2016 - Recent Advances in the Classification of Underwater Munitions near a Water-Sediment Boundary
- 11/12/2015 - Munitions Response: Land Based Program Closeout
- 09/17/2015 - Munitions Response: Underwater Geophysical Sensors
- 05/07/2015 - Factors Affecting Munitions Mobility Underwater and In Situ Measurements
- 02/05/2015 - Acoustic Methods for Underwater Munitions
- Resource Conservation and Resiliency (26)
- 03/11/2021 - New Resource Conservation Paradigms on DoD Lands
- 11/05/2020 - Changes in Pathogen Exposure Pathways under Non-Stationary Conditions and Their Implications for Wildlife and Human Exposure on Department of Defense Lands
- 08/20/2020 - Addressing Threatened and Endangered Species on DoD Lands
- 05/21/2020 - Analysis of Defense Related Ecosystem Services
- 03/26/2020 - Long-Term Ecological Studies: Evaluating Responses to Ecosystem Restoration and Optimizing Recovery of Plant Communities
- 10/03/2019 - Variation in Phenological Shifts: How do Annual Cycles and Genetic Diversity Constrain or Enable Responses to Climate Change?
- 08/22/2019 - Pacific Island Ecology and Management: Recovery of Native Plant Communities Following Removal of Non-Native Species
- 06/20/2019 - Developing Adaptation Strategies to Address Climate Change and Uncertainty
- 05/09/2019 - Roles of Soil Microbial Communities in Ecosystem Restoration
- 03/14/2019 - Determining the Temporal and Spatial Scales of Non-Stationarity in Temperature and Precipitation across the Continental United States
- 11/01/2018 - Plant Diversity and Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Longleaf Pine Ecosystems at Military Installations
- 09/20/2018 - Plant Diversity and Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Longleaf Pine Ecosystems at Military Installations
- 09/06/2018 - Informing Restoration Programs for Threatened and Endangered Plant Species
- 06/14/2018 - Approaches to Managing Threatened, Endangered and At-Risk Bird Species
- 05/03/2018 - Overview of the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP)
- 03/08/2018 - Quantifying and Modeling Fugitive Dust Emissions from DoD Activities
- 12/07/2017 - Management of Novel Hawaiian Ecosystems
- 10/05/2017 - New Resource Conservation Insights to Desert Environments
- 06/29/2017 - Future Vulnerabilities to Alaskan Ecosystems and Tools for Permafrost Assessment
- 02/23/2017 - Award Winning Projects: Resource Conservation and Resiliency
- 10/20/2016 - DoD Decision Making and Climate Change
- 09/22/2016 - Managing the Brown Treesnake Headache: Assessment of the Aerial Acetaminophen Bait Drop on Guam
- 04/07/2016 - Use of Climate Information for Decision Making and Impacts Research
- 12/17/2015 - Watershed Assessment and Stormwater Management Optimization Tools
- 03/26/2015 - Innovative Tools for Species Inventory, Monitoring, and Management
- 11/06/2014 - New Tools for Advancing Our Understanding of Marine Mammal Behavioral Ecology
- Weapons Systems and Platforms (24)
- 03/25/2021 - Advancing Coating Systems for Army Tactical Assets: A Fred Lafferman Tribute Webinar
- 09/10/2020 - Reducing Hazardous Materials in Weapons Systems: Advances in Waterjet Applications and Cold Spray Technologies
- 06/04/2020 - Waste Reduction and Treatment in Armed Forces Vessels
- 02/27/2020 - Advances in the Development of Environmentally Friendly Pyrotechnic and Propellant Formulations
- 10/31/2019 - Developing and Demonstrating Non-Toxic and Sustainable Coating Systems for Military Platforms
- 09/19/2019 - Life Cycle Assessment and Developmental Environment Safety and Occupational Health Evaluation: Tools for Sustainment and Health
- 06/06/2019 - Developing and Demonstrating Non-Toxic and Sustainable Coating Systems for Military Platforms
- 04/25/2019 - Accelerated Corrosion and Ageing Studies
- 05/31/2018 - Resonant Acoustic Mixing of Energetic Material Formulations
- 04/05/2018 - Advanced Nanocrystalline Alloys as Alternatives for Repair and Replacement of High Wear Parts
- 02/08/2018 - Improved Methods to Evaluate Aerial Emissions and Develop Pollutant Emission Factors
- 10/19/2017 - Laser De-Paint and Surface Preparation Mechanism and Technologies
- 08/17/2017 - Zinc Nickel Dip and Brush Plating
- 05/04/2017 - Novel Coatings Systems for Use as High Performance Chemical Resistant Powder Topcoats
- 01/26/2017 - Award Winning Projects: Weapons Systems and Platforms
- 08/11/2016 - An Environmentally Acceptable Alternative for Fast Cook-Off Testing, Demonstration, Validation and Implementation Efforts
- 03/24/2016 - Cadmium and Chromate Elimination Efforts: Implementation Plans and Strategic Roadmaps for Three DoD Depots
- 02/11/2016 - Chromate/Hazardous Material Free Coating Systems for Military Aircraft and Ground Support Equipment
- 10/01/2015 - Hexavalent Chrome Elimination from Hard Chrome Surface Finishing
- 07/16/2015 - Sustainable Pyrotechnics: Flares and Projectiles
- 04/16/2015 - Blast Noise Measurements and Community Response
- 03/05/2015 - Understanding and Mitigating the Risks Associated with Lead-Free Electronics
- 01/22/2015 - Bio-Based Methodologies for the Production of Environmentally Sustainable Materials
- 12/04/2014 - Waste to Energy Options for Base Camps: Efficient Tar Management and Rotary Kiln Gasification
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