PFAS remediation through adsorption and ion exchange

Situation

At its facility in Leverkusen, Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG, as the operator of the Chempark, runs a DK III landfill site for hazardous waste. The company, which specialises in particular in the disposal of hazardous waste from the chemical industry and the remediation of contaminated sites, was receiving an increasing number of enquiries regarding the disposal of PFAS-contaminated soil. The aim was to establish a PFAS-specific section within the existing landfill structure that offers a technically safe, long-term effective and economically viable solution. At the same time, the operation of the landfill was to continue without restriction, and compliance with increased water protection requirements was to be ensured.

Solution

Tektoseal® Active PFAS was used as the central barrier. The leaching PFAS are reliably removed from the leachate via ion exchange and adsorption and permanently bound within the geotextile. The dedicated area is base-sealed with a plastic sealing membrane (KDB) and features a separate leachate collection system that directs the leachate in a controlled manner into a sampling shaft. Regular monitoring takes place there to document the system’s effectiveness. The planned area covers a total of around 5,000 m² and is expected to be backfilled to a height of approximately 10 m. The special active mats were laid directly onto one of the welded plastic waterproofing membranes. A total of 28 rolls of Tektoseal Active PFAS 3000 AI WB (5.10 × 40 m) were installed in a roof-shingle pattern with a 25 cm overlap  and immediately backfilled with 30 cm of slag to secure them against the wind. The work was carried out by the construction company Schwind-Bau from Leverkusen under the technical supervision of HUESKER.

Advantages

Tektoseal Active PFAS enables the creation of an active, permanent barrier against PFAS without additional operational effort. Compared to in-situ sorption methods, the system is effective regardless of soil conditions and can be flexibly adapted. Even at a storage height of around 2 m, the system represents an economically advantageous solution compared to the use of conventional sorbents under typical loading conditions. The approach reduces the effort required for downstream wastewater treatment, increases planning reliability and makes the handling of PFAS-contaminated materials technically manageable and predictable in the long term.