OSPE-FCC May Virtual Program

OSPE-FCC May Virtual Program

Date:  Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Location: Zoom Meeting, 12:00pm -1:00pm

Registration – Registration closes at 5:00 pm, May 10, 2021

CLICK HERE ! ( Be sure to include your membership number.)

After registration is closed and prior to the presentation a Zoom link will be sent to the registrants.

Cost: Cost $10.00, Members of NSPE and members OSPE/FCC are free.

Title: “PFAS – The Circular Environment”

Abstract:   Sometimes it is what you do not know that can hurt you. PFAS is often called the “Forever Chemical” because of the inability to break down in the environment. PFAS is contained in water supplies, a wide variety of consumer and industrial products and chemicals, firefighting foam, and is found in wastewater discharges, biosolids, and landfill leachate.  Much focus is currently on PFAS in drinking water, with a significant difference between Federal guidelines and often much stricter standards in a number of states, leading to consumer confusion and a lack of confidence in the regulatory process.

Cycling exists between inputs to landfills and the discharges from landfill leachate. Flows to wastewater pretreatment plants from a variety of source including landfill leachate contain PFAS. Wastewater treatment plant biosolids are sent to landfills, undergo thermal destruction, or are spread on agricultures land.  These practices may ultimately recycle PFAS to the environment; add to wastewater treatment plant’s influent PFAS loading, end in agricultural products, or impact surface or groundwater. We found that there is a significant reduction in volumes and types of PFAS entering compared to discharging from landfills.  Therefore, we speculate that landfills may reduce PFAS toxicity, sequester PFAS, and provide a societal benefit. 

There is significant interest in reducing PFAS discharges to the environment by destruction and separation technologies currently in use and being developed. These include ion exchange, activated carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, and a variety of innovative technologies.  A summary of technologies shows promise of separating, destroying, and ultimately reducing PFAS exposures.

Biography:  Mr. Cooper is the Water and Wastewater Practice Lead for Civil & Environmental Consultants. He designed over 100 leachate, industrial, and municipal wastewater treatment plants.  He has a BSCE from Union College and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University.  He is a PE in 19 states, and is a BCEE with a Wastewater Treatment Specialty.  He is chair of SWANA’s Leachate and Landfill Liquids Management Committee. He serves on the Water Environment Federation’s Industrial Waste Committee, and is a contributing author to WEF’s new book on PFAS. He received the 2017 Roy F. Weston Award – for contributions in solid waste technology and management, and the 2019 Distinguished Individual Achievement Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America. He served as a subject matter expert on wastewater and solid waste for the US State Department in the Palestinian West Bank and in Morocco.                      

A certificate for 1 hour of Professional Development for attending the program will be emailed to you.