DoD Chemical and Material Risk Management Program: Emerging Risks by Mr. Paul Yaroschak

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are chemicals and materials that do not have peer-reviewed human health standards or the science and standards are evolving. ECs can have significant impacts on the DoD mission, people, and business functions, including the DoD contaminated site cleanup program.

DoD created the EC Program in 2006. The Program uses a three-tiered process for identifying ECs of interest to DoD, conducting impact assessments in five DoD functional areas, and developing risk management options. This process is called “scan-watch-action.” The EC Program has now evolved into a broader program for all chemical and material risk management. In addition to EC risks, the program assesses risks related to chemical/material production phase-outs and non-availability. This presentation will describe the EC Program structure and some of the emerging risks for DoD. It will provide a view of national level issues, including the evolving hazard and risk assessment process at EPA. Attendees will become informed about the nature of risks posed by ECs and DoD’s initiatives to proactively manage these risks.

State of Knowledge on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) at Military Sites by Dr. Jennifer Field

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) occur at military sites due to the use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) for fire training and emergency response purposes. Current efforts funded by DoD are aimed at defining the nature and extent of PFAS contamination at U.S. military sites, especially in groundwater. This presentation will cover a number of topics including: (1) the basics of PFAS nomenclature and chemistry; (2) PFAS composition in different AFFF formulations used historically at military sites; (3) novel approaches for characterizing individual PFASs in groundwater, total fluorine, and precursors; (4) biotransformation of a polyfluorinated ‘precursor’ found in telomer-based AFFF; and (5) new information on the sorption of PFASs to sediments which determine their transport behavior. The significance of recent findings from SERDP project ER-2128 will be discussed, as well as the benefits of this work to DoD and other stakeholders.

Treatment of 1,4-Dioxane and Chlorinated Solvents Using Sustained Slow Release Chemical Oxidant Cylinders by Dr. Patrick Evans

The likely human carcinogen 1,4-dioxane is increasingly being detected in groundwater due to its past use as a solvent stabilizer in the degreaser 1,1,1-trichloroethane. This water-miscible organic solvent is not easily treated using many conventional treatment technologies. Therefore, alternatives are needed. SERDP and ESTCP are funding several projects focused on biological, physical, and chemical methods for the in-situ treatment of 1,4-dioxane. This presentation will provide a broad overview of these projects with a focus on ESTCP project ER-201324, which is a demonstration of slow release chemical oxidant cylinders for sustained treatment of groundwater plumes containing 1,4-dioxane and chlorinated solvents. Oxidants including permanganate and unactivated persulfate are embedded in paraffin wax cylinders which are emplaced in groundwater. As groundwater flows past the cylinders, the oxidant is released and reacts with the contaminants. The technology is well suited for long-term management of groundwater plumes and can be implemented in a variety of configurations. This presentation will include a description of the technology, results to date, and recommendations for implementation. In addition, a spreadsheet design tool that is being developed will be discussed

Dr. Paul Yaroschak is the Deputy for Chemical and Material Risk Management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations and Environment). From 1991 to 2006, Mr. Yaroschak was the Director for Environmental Compliance and Restoration Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment). He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment) between political administrations. In 2006, he accepted a position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was instrumental in developing a program to identify, assess, and develop risk management actions for emerging contaminants. This program won an award from Harvard University’s “Innovations in American Government” program. Mr. Yaroschak has a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, is a registered Professional Engineer, and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows program at Harvard University. He has received numerous awards including the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal, as well as achievement medals from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Dr. Jennifer Field is a Professor with the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Dr. Field’s general research focuses on the development of quantitative analytical methods for organic micropollutants in natural and engineered systems and the application of the methods for determining micropollutant fate and transport. Early in her career, she focused on field-based research to investigate the fate and transport of surfactants in groundwater and wastewater treatment systems. She participated in interdisciplinary research with hydrologists and engineers in order to develop ‘push-pull’ tracer test methods for determining in-situ rates of reductive dechlorination and anaerobic biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Dr. Field is a pioneer in the area of fluorochemical occurrence and behavior, and has focused on groundwater contaminated by fire-fighting foams, municipal wastewater treatment systems, and municipal landfill leachates. She served as an editor for Water Research from 2004 to 2008, and has served as an associate editor for Environmental Science and Technology since 2008.

Dr. Patrick Evans is a Vice President with CDM Smith in Bellevue, Washington. He has over 25 years of research and development experience in the areas of hazardous waste remediation, energy, drinking water treatment, and waste water treatment. Dr. Evans has been a Principal Investigator on numerous research projects, including ones funded by SERDP and ESTCP, the Water Environment Research Foundation, and the Water Research Foundation. His research on 1,4-dioxane began in the early 1990s when he developed and demonstrated bioreactors for ex-situ treatment of groundwater using the microorganism Pseudonocardia dioxaninovorans CB1190. He received his Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan, and his Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He also completed postdoctoral research in environmental microbiology at New York University Medical Center. He is the recipient of the Water Environment Federation McKee Award, two Research Grant Awards, and one Superior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. He is the author of over 40 publications and holds 4 patents.