ZeroPM removal workshop: Large scale study: thermal reactivation of PFAS contaminated granular activated carbon originating from drinking water production

J A C O B I G R O U P J A C O B I G R O U P A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D J A C O B I G R O U P Large scale study: thermal reactivation of PFAS contaminated granular activated carbon originating from drinking water production Philipp Droste 08.10.2025 J A C O B I G R O U P •Type of raw water: Groundwater •7 wells; production for 55000 cit. •Purification steps: de-ironing filters. aeration basins •PFAS •groundwater contamination first detected in 2020 (up to 5 µg/l) •Origin: Firefighting foam used at nearby airbase before 2011 •Major incident: 1999 plane crash R E M O V A L O F P F A S F R O M G R O U N D W A T E R W I T H GA C Waterwork profile: Pic.: Aachener Zeitung. 12.4.2023 J A C O B I G R O U P •Installation 06.2021 •6 mobile filters in parallel •Activated carbon Product: AquaSorb 6300 12x40 •Flow rate: 60 m³/h (per filter) •EBCT of 20 min •PFAS concentration in raw mixed water: 0.5-0.7 µg/l R E M O V A L O F P F A S F R O M G R O U N D W A T E R W I T H GA C 2021 Installation 6 GAC Filter J A C O B I G R O U P Mean values Jun 2021 –Dec 2022 Influent concentration ADONA µg/l 0.000 HFPO-DA (GenX) µg/l 0.000 Perfluorobutane acid PFBA µg/l 0.028 Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid PFBS µg/l 0.040 Perfluorodecanoic acid PFDA µg/l 0.000 Perfluorododecanoic acid PFDoDA µg/l 0.000 Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid PFDoDS µg/l 0.000 Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid PFDS µg/l 0.000 Perfluoroheptanoic acid PFHpA µg/l 0.037 Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid PFHpS µg/l 0.002 Perfluorohexanoic acid PFHxA µg/l 0.171 Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid PFHxS µg/l 0.169 Perfluoropentanoic acid PFNA µg/l 0.010 Perfluorononanesulfonic acid PFNS µg/l 0.000 Perfluoroctanoic acid PFOA µg/l 0.039 Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid PFOS µg/l 0.030 Perfluoropentanoic acid PFPeA µg/l 0.063 Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid PFPS µg/l 0.033 Perfluorotridecanoic acid PFTrDA µg/l 0.000 Perfluoroundecanoic acid PFUDA µg/l 0.000 Perfluorotridecanesulfonic acid PFTrDS µg/l 0.000 Perfluoroundecanesulfonic acid PFTUdS µg/l 0.000 Sum parameters PFAS 20 = 0.622 µg/l PFAS 4 = 0.248 µg/l German limit values (DW) •PFAS 20: 0.1 µg/l (2026) •PFAS 4: 0.02 µg/l (2028) Main substances: •PFHxA and PFHxS: ca. 55% •PFPeA: ca. 10% •PFOS and PFOA: ca. 11% J A C O B I G R O U P R E M O V A L O F P F A S F R O M G R O U N D W A T E R W I T H GA C 0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1 1,2 05000 10000 15000 20000 25000 [µg/l] bed volumes sum of PFAS PFAS Raw water µg/l PFAS Outlet AC-Filter µg/l Limit DWD µg/l Linear (PFAS Raw water µg/l) Mean concentrations PFAS 20 = 0.622 µg/l PFAS 4 = 0.248 µg/l Main substances •PFHxA and PFHxS: ca. 55% •PFPeA: ca. 10% •PFOS and PFOA: ca. 11% •PFBA: 4.5% •Others: 19.5% J A C O B I G R O U P 0 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,1 0,12 0,14 0,16 0,18 0,2 05000 10000 15000 20000 25000 [µg/l] bed volumes sum of PFAS - effluent PFAS Outlet AC-Filter µg/l PFAS Outlet Waterwork µg/l Limit DWD µg/l PFAS Outlet F2 µg/l Legend •Outlet AC-Filter: effluent of 6 GAC filters in parallel •Waterwork: mix of GAC filtration step and clean wells •Outlet F2: effluent of Filter 2 (lead filter) •Limit DWD: Sum of PFAS 20 EU Drinking Water Directive J A C O B I G R O U P 0,000 0,050 0,100 0,150 0,200 0,250 0,300 0,350 0,400 0,450 05000 10000 15000 20000 25000 [µg/l] Bed volumes [-] Sum of PFAS 4 Raw water PFAS-4 Raw water µg/l Limit PFAS-4 µg/l 0 0,005 0,01 0,015 0,02 0,025 05000 10000 15000 20000 25000 [µg/l] Bed volumes [-] Sum of PFAS 4 effluent PFAS-4 Outlet AC-Filter µg/l PFAS-4 Outlet F2 µg/l Limit PFAS-4 µg/l Sum of PFAS 4 •Sum of PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS •Limit German Drinking Water Ordinance (2028): 20 ng/l •Recommended limit EFSA (European Food Safety Authority): 2 ng/l J A C O B I G R O U P 2023 Premnitz. Germany Reactivation of PFAS contaminated GAC