Contact Us
Evolving science or detection capabilities for chemicals that have pathways to enter the environment and present a real or potential unacceptable human health or ecological risk are referred to “contaminants” of emerging concern. For more than 10 years, EA has provided Department of Defense (DoD), industry, state agencies, and municipalities with innovative solutions to the challenges associated with chemicals and contaminants of emerging concern (CCEC). EA’s CCEC subject matter expert group of scientists, toxicologists, regulatory experts, and engineers is at the forefront of CCEC (including PFAS) research related to environmental behavior, toxicity, and effective methods to isolate and treat CCEC that pose risks.
Contact Paul Caprio, P.G., Vice President, Director of Chemicals and Contaminants of Emerging Concern.
Per and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS), also called “forever chemicals” in the media, are a family of more than 5,000 synthetic fluorinated-organic chemicals, and are some of the most notorious modern emerging contaminants. PFAS have gained national attention due to their widespread use, environmental persistence, and potential risk to human health and the environment. EA has worked with federal, state, municipal, and industrial clients on PFAS-related projects for over 10 years and remains committed to the advancement of PFAS science and using the latest technology to successfully characterize site contamination, assess potential environmental threats, and mitigate human health and environmental risks.
Related Projects:
Our nationally certified Ecotoxicology Laboratory provides toxicity identification evaluations to forensically evaluate and “fingerprint” causative agents, including new CCECs, and product toxicity testing to develop toxicological information for product formulations that can be used for safety data sheets, hazard classifications, and chemical labeling. Our EnviTreat Laboratory performs state-of-the-art bench scale and custom pilot units (to simulate full scale reactors) for industrial/municipal waste streams to optimize treatment processes to remove or transform a variety of contaminants of emerging concern, including 1,4-dioxane, PFAS, plastics, pharmaceutical wastes, pyrotechnical wastes, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and personal care product manufacturing waste. EA’s Contaminated Site Assessment and Remediation group integrates robust conceptual site models, innovative high resolution site characterization methods, and pilot-scale/full-scale remediation technology implementation for recalcitrant and emerging contaminants.
Since 2006, EA has been conducting research on the safety and toxicology of a variety military compounds such as PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), industrial compounds, and consumer product constituents to evaluate their potential to enter the environment and their potential to cause adverse ecological or human health impacts. EA is on the leading-edge of research and development related to PFAS environmental fate, toxicology of both fluorine-based AFFF and fluorine free (i.e., no PFAS) formulations, and innovative technologies to treat PFAS-impacted liquid and solid waste streams.