Felipe Solano (Ontario), Leah MacKinnon (Ontario), and James Rayner (United Kingdom) will present at the AquaConSoil 2023 conference in Prague, Czech Republic at the Czech University of Life Sciences from September 12 through 14, 2023.

Felipe is a Professional Scientist with more than 10 years of experience focused on groundwater contamination and subsurface migration of organic and petroleum chemicals. He also develops conceptual site models and remediates groundwater using innovative technologies.

Leah is a Senior Principal with more than 20 years of experience in the United States, Canada, and Europe. She focuses on using innovative in situ technologies to remediate groundwater containing recalcitrant compounds.

James is a Senior Hydrogeologist with more than 20 years of experience in the assessment, management, and remediation of contaminated land in United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and South America. A contaminant hydrogeologist, he specializes in developing advanced conceptual site models and evaluating contaminant fate and transport.

Every two years, AquaConSoil brings together scientists, policymakers, and other decision-makers to share knowledge and help develop innovative solutions regarding sustainable use and management of soil, water, and sediment. In 2023, AquaConSoil will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, and will be hosted by the Czech University of Life Sciences.

Abstracts

Felipe will present “Sequenced S-ISCO®, ISCO and Bioremediation for Treatment of a Pharmaceutical Waste Mixture – Full Scale Application” on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. CEST.

The Kaergaard Plantation megasite on the western coast of Denmark represents one of the most difficult remediation challenges in Scandinavia. Disposal of an estimated 280,000 metric tons of pharmaceutical wastes from 1956 to 1973 resulted in a complex mixture of contaminants in soil and groundwater, including sulfonamides, barbiturates, aniline, pyridine, chlorinated solvents, fuel hydrocarbons, mercury, cyanide, lithium and other compounds. Although the waste pits were excavated down to the water table, residual dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) beneath the water table continues to dissolve an impact underlying groundwater. The primary remedial goal for the site is to reduce the mass flux of chlorinated solvents migrating from four of the waste pits to downgradient areas. A detailed evaluation of each waste pit was used to design a sequenced application of ISCO using peroxide activated persulfate (ASP) for areas with significant DNAPL, followed by enhanced reductive dechlorination for areas with less contaminant mass and for polishing following ISCO.

This presentation will describe the approach used to implement technologies in rapid succession and discuss lessons learned.

Leah will co-present, with Brant Smith of Evonik, “Best Practices for Applying In Situ Chemical Oxidation in 2023” on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. CEST.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) originated in the 1980s, using hydrogen peroxide. Over time ISCO has evolved to include different chemistries including those based on hydrogen peroxide, ozone, sodium and potassium permanganate, and sodium and potassium persulfate. Current best practices consider key site characteristics and contaminants involved, as well as remedial objectives. Best practices also evaluate proper dose, rate of release of the oxidant, best methods for establishing contact, application method and monitoring programs. Attendees will learn how critical design elements, oxidant characteristics, application methods, and monitoring programs are interrelated and must be considered in conjunction with each other and with the site and contaminant specifics when designing the most appropriate remedy for a site.

This talk will summarize and delve into key points in the evolutions of best practices by addressing the following four topics:

• Assessing ISCO chemistry
• Matching application method and chemistry with contaminant and site conditions
• Finding best methods for establishing contact
• Combining remedies and monitoring to achieve goals.

James will present “Predicting PFAS soil porewater concentrations – implications for hydrogeological risk assessment sustainable soil remediation” on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 2 p.m. CEST.

The vadose zone is a significant reservoir for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at sites involving firefighting foam, manufacturing processes, and biosolids. Evaluating the risks posed by PFAS leaching to groundwater requires us to understand and measure soil porewater concentrations and infiltrating water discharge. A novel PFAS partitioning model has been applied within the UK’s hydrogeological risk assessment framework to predict soil porewater concentrations, characterize risk, and establish risk-based targets for vadose zone soil remediation. Total soil concentrations are used to estimate soil porewater concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations using the PFAS partitioning model and a conventional model. This talk highlights concerns with applying conventional approaches to PFAS, will address the details of the pioneering calculation methods and demonstrates how a nuanced understanding of these processes can support stakeholders with developing more sustainable solutions for PFAS liabilities.

More Information

About the event: AquaSoilCon2023
To discuss ISCO, PFAS remediation, bioremediation, and other innovative solutions, contact Felipe at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Learn more about Felipe: Felipe Marques Solano | LinkedIn
Learn more about Leah: Leah's Geosyntec Profile
Learn more about James: James Rayner | LinkedIn