Remediation Deep Dive - PFAS Environmental Science in 7 Minutes or Less

In this podcast episode, AI hosts Max Flux and Sandi Loam explore why successful in situ sorbent treatment depends less on how far an amendment travels and more on how evenly it reaches contaminant mass and groundwater-flow pathways. Drawing on field research, the discussion examines ten performance, monitoring, cost, and safety concerns associated with high-pressure injection of powdered and granular sorbents—including fracture-controlled placement, incomplete treatment-zone coverage, biased monitoring results, and contaminant rebound. They also discuss how low-pressure colloidal activated carbon delivery can achieve broader, more consistent coverage by moving through accessible aquifer pore spaces. The key takeaway: effective remediation requires distributing the sorbent—not fracturing the formation.

The latest Remediation Deep Dive podcast urges environmental practitioners to Rethink PFAS Soil Excavation and examines the financial, environmental, and long-term liability drawbacks of excavating and transporting PFAS-contaminated soil. AI hosts Max Flux and Sandi Loam discuss a New Jersey PFAS soil treatment case study highlighting how a low-dust colloidal activated carbon treatment immobilized PFAS in place, reducing leachability by more than 99% while eliminating surface waste, trucking, and landfill disposal. The episode makes the case that SourceStop can better protect soil and groundwater while lowering cleanup costs, carbon emissions, and lifecycle risks.

This podcast explores how a large-scale airport remediation project in Sweden is demonstrating a smarter way to stop PFAS contamination at the source before it spreads to sensitive drinking water receptors. Through the use of an in situ colloidal activated carbon barrier, Max Flux and Sandi Loam highlight a shift from costly pump-and-treat approaches to passive, underground containment that captures both target PFAS compounds and precursors where the plume begins.

The U.S. Department of War (DoW) faces an estimated $31 billion in legacy PFAS cleanup liability, and the environmental industry's default answer is still pump and treat. This episode follows the money.

Max Flux and Sandi Lomb compare 30-year lifecycle costs at Wurtsmith Air Force Base ($19 million versus $7.2 million), a commercial airport site ($4.1 million versus $1.6 million), and a failing system in Barnstable County bleeding $450,000 a year — and explain why the savings represent potential millions.

Max and Sandi dive into the peer-reviewed article, “Longevity of Colloidal Activated Carbon for In Situ PFAS Remediation at AFFF-Contaminated Airport Sites” by Carey et al. (2022), highlighting >90–99% PFAS reduction across 17 sites and the key factors driving CAC’s long-term performance.