MSECA’s 2025 Fall Virtual Meeting on PFAS

Presented by Robert Kelley, Ph.D., Hepure Technologies & Micala Mitchek, Arq

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that have become widespread in groundwater through their use in aqueous film forming firefighting foams and the manufacturing, use and disposal of products including clothing, furniture, pizza boxes, food wrappers, cooking utensils, and much more. Colloidal Carbon is an activated carbon aqueous dispersion of very fine particles (< 3 μm) typically contains 15 wt% carbon solids in a stable dispersion that is diluted for injection. The base carbon may be bituminous, lignite or coconut. Base carbon materials lend themselves to unique activated carbon functionalities, but activated carbon features responsible for controlling adsorption mechanisms can be engineered onto a range of base carbon materials. The surface characteristics of the activated carbon also play a critical role in controlling capture of PFAS especially for less hydrophobic/more difficult to remove constituents. This presentation will present the methods, tabulated results and single solute equilibrium removal isotherms showing the performance of activated base carbon materials in adsorption of PFAS.

Robert Kelley, Ph.D., Hepure Technologies
Dr. Kelley has over 36 years of experience with chemical oxidation and biodegradation technologies as an environmental researcher, consultant and vendor. Dr. Kelley has developed and implemented a variety of chemical and biological remediation technologies. He has worked as Principal Scientist in the development of several innovative remediation technologies for recalcitrant compounds, such as PCBs and PAHs, including the use of unique fungi and combinations of chemical and biological oxidations reactions. He conducted and coordinated numerous treatability studies and supervised a diverse group of scientists and engineers who designed and performed remediation pilot studies. As a consultant, he performed and supervised Phase II Environmental Assessments and designed remediation solutions for contaminated properties.

Micala Mitchek, Arq
Ms. Mitchek is a Principal Research and Development Engineer at Arq Incorporated. Micala has over eight years of experience in new activated carbon product design and field application development. Micala applies a strong fundamental scientific understanding to tuning activated carbon products to selectively remove specific environmental contaminants with emphasis on PFAS, coal combustion residual inorganics, total organic carbon, and taste and odor molecules. She specializes in applying her experience to accelerate the new product development process from concept formulation, fundamental investigations, and prototype development to full-scale customer demonstration and acceptance. Micala received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Colorado State University and her master’s degree in environmental engineering science from the Colorado School of Mines.

Presented by Jonathan Thorn, Eurofins Environmental Testing

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) can take an already complex technical, environmental, and regulatory site remediation project and add even more layers of complexity. Each of these site investigations may require the analysis of several matrices, including drinking water, surface water, groundwater, leachate, soil, sediment, fish and wildlife tissues, bioaccumulation samples, air, and other potential waste/product samples. With the variety of matrices that may need assessment, and the added complexities of other co-contaminants, selecting the appropriate analytical methods becomes critical.

Jonathan Thorn, Eurofins Environmental Testing
Jonathan Thorn joined the Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories team as the Technical Director and PFAS Practice Leader in January 2024. Jon has worked in the field of environmental analytical chemistry for over 30 years. For the last 11 years, his primary focus has been the analysis of PFAS in environmental samples, focusing on development and implementation of analytical methods in difficult matrices, including ground water, wastewater, landfill leachate, sediment, soil, biosolids, environmental tissues, agricultural products, and animal blood. Prior to PFAS, Jon’s primary focus was hydrocarbon forensics, focusing on PAH, alkylated PAH, and petroleum biomarkers. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Bridgewater State University in 1996.

Presented by Ryan Thomas, Ph.D. & Lauren Turner, Ph.D., Parsons Corporation

Parsons Corporation has developed a novel approach to PFAS remediation through a patented methodology known as Hot In-Situ Chemical Oxidation (Hot ISCO). Classic approaches to oxidation require prohibitive inputs of heat to initiate and propagate the oxidation reactions. To avoid this, Parsons has developed a blend of metal-based catalysts capable of activating applied oxidants under a low temperature (≤40ºC) environment. This enables a slow, steady release of a broad range of oxidizing radicals which efficiently degrade PFAS, including PFOS, PFOA, 6:2 FTS, PFBA, TFA, and GenX.

Initial laboratory work has identified the roles of temperature, pH, metal type/concentration, oxidant type/concentration, oxidant dosing profile, and the impact of dissolved organic matter. Additional experiments have identified the effectiveness of Hot ISCO on a variety of matrices, including aqueous, solids, and filtration media. Subsequent field trials have demonstrated >90% removal of PFAS in water. This presentation will share the lessons learned from five years of research and development, highlighting the potential of Hot ISCO as a cost-effective solution for PFAS destruction in diverse environmental conditions.

Ryan Thomas, Ph.D., Parsons Corporation
Dr. Ryan Thomas is a Parsons’ Fellow and serves as an Emerging Contaminants Principal with academic research, environmental consulting, and analytical chemistry experiences focused on site characterization, sampling and analysis, and remediation technologies. His areas of expertise include performing and directing treatability studies to evaluate remedial alternatives for industrial sites with soil, groundwater, drinking water sources, landfill seeps, and surface water streams impacted with chlorinated solvents, metals, and emerging contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Ryan’s projects have involved technology evaluations demonstrating removal efficiency of commercially available adsorptive media such as activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and other vendor supplied proprietary amendments that can be used for in situ and ex situ applications. He has also evaluated destructive technologies for emerging contaminants such as chemical oxidation, alkaline ozonation, supercritical water oxidation, and plasma technologies. He has provided technical guidance for public and private clients, published technical peer-reviewed articles, and routinely gives presentations to clients and at national and international conferences. Ryan has previously served as a writing subgroup leader for the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council’s PFAS team and as subcommittee co-chair for the National Groundwater Association’s PFAS sampling and analysis team. He is also Parsons’ Energy and Environment Analytical Chemistry Director with a specific focus on chemistry, sampling procedures, data interpretation, forensics, quality control, and analytical methodologies.

Lauren Turner, Ph.D., Parsons Corporation
Dr. Lauren Turner leverages her interdisciplinary experience in geology, engineering, contaminant hydrogeology, and chemistry to support site investigations, remediation, data analysis, and performance monitoring for client sites with Parsons. Lauren has an undergraduate degree in geological engineering and a doctoral degree in civil-environmental engineering, where her research focused on destructive treatment of PFAS. Lauren has experience in remedial investigations, feasibility studies, bench and pilot studies, alternatives analysis, and remedy performance monitoring for a variety of contaminated sites including PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, chlorinated solvent, and uranium impacted media. Lauren develops, leads, and supports internal research and development for the remediation of PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, including metal-based oxidation. Mod as you see fit, if you want both of ours to have similar flow or order.

Presented by Lucas Barroso-Giachetti, PE, CHMM, Terracon & Lindsay Boone, M.Sc., Pace Analytical Services

During 2024 and 2025, the environmental industry saw an exponential increase in PFAS analysis for all types of environmental media samples. EPA Method 1633 was finalized in 2024 and provides the “gold standard” for non-potable water PFAS analysis. However, meeting this “gold standard” involves considerable effort, technical expertise that can make PFAS assessments expensive. This comparison of different media samples with both EPA Method 1633 and EPA Method 8327 pursues new ways to design analytical programs that combine these methods for potentially significant project savings throughout its life cycle.

Lucas Barroso-Giachetti, PE, CHMM, Terracon
With over 20 years of environmental engineering and consulting experience, Lucas Barroso-Giachetti, P.E., CHMM is a trusted leader in PFAS investigations, data analysis and remediation strategies. Based in Terracon’s Charlotte office, Lucas serves as the firm’s Regional PFAS Lead, guiding clients through the complexities of environmental compliance, property development, site closure strategies and risk management.

Lucas brings deep technical expertise to a wide range of environmental practice areas, from Brownfields redevelopment and stormwater management to vapor intrusion mitigation, pre-acquisition due diligence, and landfill redevelopment. His work spans the public and private sectors, including high-impact industrial, agricultural, and aviation projects.

An advocate for professional collaboration, Lucas serves on the Groundwater Professionals of North Carolina (GWPNC) board and frequently speaks at industry conferences on PFAS-related topics.

Lucas holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida and is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in multiple states. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking with his wife and sons—and cheering on his favorite soccer team, Juventus.

Lindsay Boone, M.Sc., Pace Analytical Services
Lindsay Boone is a PFAS Technical Specialist with PACE Analytical. She has worked with numerous environmental professionals on a wide array of PFAS related issues such as sampling techniques, lab report interpretation, and analytical methodology selection. Lindsay has worked at various environmental laboratories, life sciences, and analytical instrumentation manufacturer companies. She earned both her BS and MS degrees in chemistry at University of North Carolina Wilmington. In her free time she enjoys boating and hanging out on the beach with her friends, family, and Great Dane “Bo”.