Objective: The objective of this project is to demonstrate that surfactant-tailored granular activated carbon (GAC) is a cost-effective treatment method for removing perchlorate from drinking water to effluent concentrations of 1 microgram per liter (ug/L) or less. Investigators further seek to demonstrate that the technology requires low capital, operating, and energy costs; involves simple operation and maintenance and minimal monitoring; can remove both perchlorate and trichloroethene (TCE) simultaneously; eliminates residual waste streams for the host municipalities; and can be applied over a wide range of water chemistries. In support of the cost and design software package to be developed for this technology, investigators also will obtain performance data for water that contains varying concentrations of perchlorate, sulfate, nitrate, total dissolved solids, and TCE and assess treatment costs for a range of water qualities. Technology Description: Pennsylvania State University (PSU) developed the surfactant-tailored GAC technology and has teamed with USFilter to improve its marketability. This technology involves pre-treating, or tailoring, GAC with alkyl quaternary ammonium or other active nitrogen groups. This tailoring extends the bed life of GAC for adsorbing perchlorate up to 35 times longer than conventional, non-tailored GAC. Based on this finding, tailored GAC has the potential to be very cost competitive against established perchlorate treatment technologies. However, more data is needed to validate these projections for the water quality conditions in the California Inland Empire and elsewhere. In this project, pilot-scale field tests will be conducted and made more robust and broadly applicable by additional Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests (RSSCT) at PSU. Expected Benefits: For this demonstration, the anticipated costs for tailored carbon treatment, including media, operations, and restoration costs, are expected to be approximately $60 to $120 per acre-foot of water treated for groundwater that contains an influent of 40 to 70 parts per billion (ppb) perchlorate. Similar treatment costs for conventional one-pass ion exchange are approximately $100 to $200 per acre-foot, representing a potential cost savings of up to 40%. Based on the economics of tailored GAC production and the known logistics of deploying GAC in the field to serve as a drinking water pre-treatment step, it is anticipated that this perchlorate treatment technology will be less costly than conventional surface water treatment systems. Residuals also are expected to be minimal. The interactive software package can be used by stakeholders to design and cost a tailored GAC treatment system for varying site conditions. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2007) Principal Investigator: Mr. Trent Henderson ARCADIS G&M, Inc. 1400 North Harbor Blvd., Suite 700 Fullerton, CA 92835 Telephone: (714) 278-0992 Fax: (714) 278-0051 E-mail: thenderson@arcadis-us.com DoD Liaison: Ms. Barbara Sugiyama Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center 1100 23rd Avenue, ESC 411 Port Hueneme, CA 93043 Telephone: (805) 982-1668 Fax: (805) 982-4304 E-mail: barbara.sugiyama@navy.mil |
