SERDP & ESTCP Webinar Series: Managing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 2)
This SERDP and ESTCP webinar presents an evaluation of environmentally friendly alternatives to AFFF, as well as a novel technology to destroy PFAS in contaminated groundwater. Specifically, investigators will summarize research and current understanding of PFAS defluorination and reaction mechanisms for PFAS degradation using hydrated electrons generated under ultraviolet irradiation, and will also present results of real-scale and laboratory-scale experiments assessing the effectiveness of AFFF alternatives, including PFAS-free foams as well as wetting agents and other water additives.
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Webinar #121 (10/22/2020)
Managing AFFF Impacts to Subsurface Environments and Assessment
of Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 2)
Dr. Jinyong Liu, University of California Riverside
Mr. Gerard Back, Jensen Hughes
October 22, 2020
12:00 PM ET (9:00 AM PT)
Abstracts
“Understanding and Improving PFAS Degradation with Advanced Reduction and Oxidation Methods” by Dr. Jinyong Liu ( SERDP Project Webpage)
This project supports SERDP’s efforts to remove and destroy PFAS in contaminated groundwater at Department of Defense (DoD) sites. Hydrated electrons can be generated under ultraviolet irradiation and have exhibited great promises for reductive PFAS destruction in practical applications. One of the core research objectives is to understand the governing reaction mechanisms for PFAS degradation. This information is critical to achieving deep defluorination of most PFAS structures and designing a cost-effective treatment system. Our research has elucidated the structure-reactivity of major PFAS categories and significantly improved the defluorination ratio and energy efficiency. This presentation will describe the main mechanistic insights and demonstrate the system performance of PFAS degradation under simulated remediation conditions.
“Capabilities Assessment of PFAS-Free Foams and Water Additives” by Gerard G. Back ( ESTCP Project Webpage)
Legacy firefighting foams (AFFF) used by the DoD are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny throughout the world due to both environmental and human health concerns associated with the fluorinated surfactants. This SERDP project is a two-year effort to assess the capabilities of environmentally friendly AFFF alternatives including both traditional candidates such as PFAS-free foams, and non-traditional options such as wetting agents and other water additives. The program provides an “apples to apples” comparison of the capabilities of the AFFF formulations currently used by the DoD and the commercially available PFAS-free alternatives. The capabilities were assessed against a range of representative real-scale conditions/scenarios as well as on a laboratory/approval type scale. The data collected were used to quantify the capabilities of the various alternatives during typical use type scenarios and then linked to the smaller laboratory/approval scale test results to develop a better understanding of the approval scale test results. In the future, the results of the program will validate the potential for using a commercially available agent as an alternative for AFFF, and will begin the development of a database for future reference. In October 2019, the objectives and approach to the program were presented in a SERDP ESTCP Webinar (#100). This webinar will provide an update on the program, including a discussion of recent results and the path forward to project completion.
Speaker Biographies

Dr. Jinyong Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. His current areas of research focus on the development of chemical technologies for the degradation of water pollutants, such as PFAS and oxyanions (perchlorate, chlorate, nitrate, and bromate). Dr. Liu has served as the principal investigator on several research grants focused on (1) degradation of a variety of PFAS using advanced reduction and oxidation methods for groundwater remediation, (2) development of heterogeneous catalysts for oxyanion reduction, and (3) investigation of the coordination chemistry of transition metals involved in pollutant degradation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in environmental science and engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, and a doctoral degree in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Gerard (Jerry) G. Back is a Senior Fire Protection Engineer with Jensen Hughes in Baltimore, Maryland. He was one of the original Hughes Associate employees and has over 35 years of experience covering the spectrum of fire protection topics and issues. Over the course of his career, he has published over 100 papers on fire protection related topics and has been responsible for project management and administration (planning, execution, and analysis) of fire protection research, development, testing, and evaluation programs. He has performed thousands of full-scale fire tests including evaluations of AFFF agents and systems, aerosols, high expansion foam systems, gaseous agents, water mist systems, and water spray/delude systems. His experience has included major projects for the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, the Federal Aviation Administration, and commercial clients. He has tested every type of AFFF system used throughout the U.S. Navy (including most manual firefighting equipment) and is actively testing a range of potential AFFF alternatives. He recently completed a parametric assessment of Underwriters Laboratories listed commercially available PFAS-free foams for the National Fire Protection Association Fire Protection Research Foundation that consisted of 165 tests. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in fire protection engineering, both from the University of Maryland.
Past Webinars
- Installation Energy and Water (19)
- 11/18/2021 - Applying Open-Source Tools to Unlock Data and Optimize Building Operations
- 05/20/2021 - Advancing Microgrid Solutions
- 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 (62)
- 06/02/2022 - Demonstration and Validation of New Non-Invasive Technology to Assess Contaminant Storage in Low Permeability Media and Rock Matrix
- 05/05/2022 - Predictive and Modeling Tools for Improved Assessments of PFAS Environmental Risks
- 04/07/2022 - Developments in Wastewater Treatment and Reuse at DoD Facilities
- 02/10/2022 - Quantifying Abiotic Transformation Rates and Mechanisms for Chlorinated Ethenes in Subsurface Environments
- 01/13/2022 - Applying Cometabolism for Treatment of Traditional and Emerging Contaminants at DoD Sites
- 12/09/2021 - Forensic Techniques for Differentiating PFAS Sources
- 10/21/2021 - Advances in Stormwater Monitoring and the Development of Best Management Practices for Treatment
- 09/23/2021 - Management of AFFF Impacts in Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Novel and Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 2)
- 09/09/2021 - Management of AFFF Impacts in Subsurface Environments and Assessment of Novel and Commercially Available PFAS-Free Foams (Part 1)
- 06/03/2021 - PFAS Analytical Challenges and Opportunities
- 05/06/2021 - Fate, Transport and Treatment of Munitions Constituents in Soil and Groundwater
- 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
- 12/17/2015 - Watershed Assessment and Stormwater Management Optimization 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 (17)
- 03/24/2022 - Parameterizing Munitions Mobility and Burial in Riverine Environments
- 08/05/2021 - Improved Characterization, Monitoring and Management of Submerged Munitions in Marine Environments
- 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 (30)
- 05/19/2022 - DoD Natural Resource Management Through Unmanned Aircraft System Technology
- 03/10/2022 - Fuel Characterization and Fire and Smoke Modeling for Understanding Fire Behavior on Military Lands
- 10/07/2021 - Adapting to Changes in the Hydrologic Cycle under Non-Stationary Climate Conditions
- 06/17/2021 - Changes in Pathogen Exposure Pathways Under Non-Stationary Conditions
- 04/22/2021 - Innovative Approaches to Monitor and Survey At-Risk Species on DoD Lands
- 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
- 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 (29)
- 06/16/2022 - Corrosion Mitigation and Predictive Analysis for DoD Weapons Systems
- 04/21/2022 - Additive Manufacturing and Reuse of Waste Materials
- 02/24/2022 - Key Advances in Waste to Energy Demonstrations
- 11/04/2021 - Corrosion Mitigation and Predictive Analysis for DoD Weapons Systems
- 07/08/2021 - Energetic Materials and Munitions
- 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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