PFAS Research and Development

Airservices has collaborated with leading industry and research institutions to better understand PFAS and to support the development of solutions and technologies to manage PFAS.

The research and development initiatives are being conducted in both laboratory settings and on-site at airports. Findings from these projects, as well as Australian Government-supported research projects that we participate in, are often published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Water

Groundwater Remediation Trial

Partner: Photon Water | Location: Adelaide Airport Former Fire Training Ground

In 2019, we participated in an initial laboratory scale project to assess whether a catalysed electrochemical oxidation process was effective in destroying PFAS in groundwater. Groundwater was obtained from the decommissioned former fire training ground at Adelaide Airport and subjected to reactor trials in Poland. The results of the trials proved promising, and a field trial is currently being progressed by the Department of Defence.

Soil

Smouldering Trial

Partner: University of Queensland | Location: University of Queensland

The University of Queensland undertook a trial, completed in 2019, to evaluate the potential for PFAS removal from soils using laboratory scale smouldering combustion, a process of slow, low temperature, flameless “burning” that may be capable of destroying PFAS or partially breaking PFAS down and liberating it as volatile smaller particles that could be extracted as a vapour. This technology is in use for remediating other hydrocarbon-based pollutants in the United States. The purpose of the trial was to determine whether this technology was suitable for an in-situ application at an operational site.

Although the trial showed the technology could create conditions in the soil that would destroy PFAS as well as liberate it from soils, uncertainties remain as to whether the technology is too cumbersome for use as an in-situ application. The technology is currently better viewed as an alternative to standard ex-situ thermal desorption processes.

Immobilisation of PFAS in soil using RemBind

Partner: University of Queensland | Location: University of Queensland

In 2014, in collaboration with the Tasmanian EPA and Ziltek (the then manufacturer of RemBind), we tested the effectiveness of a product called RemBind in treating PFAS. Originally designed to deal with hydrocarbon contamination in soils, RemBind proved effective by immobilising and restricting PFAS leaching from the soil.

In 2015, in collaboration with the University of Queensland, we assessed RemBind treated soils following exposure to biological influences (worms and wheat grass). While there was some measurable uptake of PFAS into biota, the treatment itself was unaffected. The project found that RemBind immobilised nutrients in the soils as well as the contaminants, so that neither the worms nor grass thrived. The trials concluded that RemBind treated materials would need to be buried beneath the root zone in order to avoid impacting natural growth of plants and animals.

A further trial was conducted in 2018 using samples from prior studies to assess the weathering of treated soils to determine if there was any observable breakdown in the RemBind treatment. The results showed no change to the effectiveness of the treatment, supporting the results of the laboratory tests undertaken in 2014.

Waste

Wastewater Treatment Plant Trial

Partners: Beca, Evocra and InSite | Location: Hobart Airport Fire Training Ground

This project tested the effectiveness for managing PFAS impacted wastewater (by removing PFAS from wastewater so that it could be discharged as stormwater) at the fire training ground at Hobart Airport using two selected technology providers. The first trial was for the Evocra system and it commenced in late 2018 and ran for approximately 12 months. The second trial is for the InSite system and this trial is currently underway.

PFAS Destruction Trial

Partner: AECOM Australia Pty Ltd

We provided AECOM with waste materials containing PFAS as part of preliminary laboratory and pilot scale testing of a proprietary electrochemical oxidation reactor intended to destroy dissolved PFAS. The process involves breaking the carbon-fluorine bond using electrochemical oxidation, resulting in the breakdown of PFAS into individual natural components. The trials, completed in 2019, were successful and led to the development of a field scale system that is currently under trial in the United States and Australia.

Concrete

X55 Concrete Treatment Trial

Partners: Xypex and Arcadis | Location: Hobart Airport Fire Station washdown bay

This trial, completed in 2020, assessed the effectiveness of a commercially available treatment product called X55 in minimising the leaching of PFAS from impacted concrete infrastructure.

X55 is used to repair and extend life of existing concrete infrastructure, such as bridge pylons and workshop floors. For the purposes of the trial, we applied X55 to the concrete washdown bay at Hobart Airport fire station, which resulted in an up to 70 per cent reduction in the leaching of PFAS. Note that this result was likely influenced by the age (as well as usage) of the concrete.

Although the reduction did not reduce leaching below criteria levels, the reduction is meaningful and we are considering the wider application of the X55 product at other sites as part of our National PFAS Management Program.

Health

PFAS Exposure Study

Partners: University of Queensland, Australian National University

Airservices Australia was the first Australian Government entity with an aviation rescue and fire fighting service to engage toxicology experts to conduct a voluntary health study on our fire fighters and their exposure to PFAS. The University of Queensland was engaged in 2013 to conduct this this world-first longitudinal occupational exposure study.

All 731 fire fighters employed by Airservices at the time were invited to take part, with 149 choosing to do so. The results of the first study were published in 2014 and have also been incorporated into the Australian National University (ANU) study on PFAS exposure.

The University of Queensland conducted a second PFAS Exposure Study in 2018. Nearly 800 current and former Airservices fire fighters participated in the second study, including 137 (90 per cent) of the participants in the first study. Participation of staff from the first study made this the first longitudinal occupational exposure study of its kind in the world. The second study was completed in 2020, and a full report and summary of results have been published.

This research has enabled us to confirm that existing workplace health and safety controls are effective in reducing PFAS exposure. It is important to note that neither study provided definitive advice about an individual’s health, but the results have contributed to the broader research into PFAS exposure levels and potential human health associations.

Commonwealth-supported research projects

We participate in Commonwealth supported research and development activities, including Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant Projects and similar programs such as the Special Research Initiatives (SRI) grant scheme, where these align with Airservices research objectives. The following are Linkage and SRI projects in which we are a participant.

Groundwater R&D: Fate & transport of fluorinated surfactants and hydrocarbons

Partners: University of Queensland, Brisbane Airport Corporation Pty Ltd and NSW Environment Protection Authority | Location: Brisbane Airport

This Linkage project, completed in 2020, focused on obtaining a better understanding of the behaviour and migration patterns of PFAS and which may result in meaningful applications to the management of PFAS in the coastal airport environment. We gratefully acknowledge the ARC support for this project (LP160100510). More information on this project can be found on the University of Queensland website.

PFAS Remediation Research Program

Main Partner: University of Queensland

The SRI program, supported by an Australian Government funding pool, began in 2018 primarily to assist with development of treatment solutions for PFAS impacted media. The projects that we are partnering in commenced in early 2019 and include:

• Remediation of PFAS contaminated soil using soil washing and immobilisation.
• Integrated, scalable technology solutions for PFAS removal and destruction.

More information on these projects can be found on the University of Queensland website.