Emerging Contaminants

Understanding and addressing the complexities of emerging contaminants demands specialized expertise and a forward-thinking approach, qualities that define Trihydro’s practice. These substances pose threats to our health and environment. Contaminants enter our surroundings through various pathways, from industrial discharge to everyday consumer products, and can affect our groundwater, surface water, soils, air, and food supply. Emerging contaminants pose a significant challenge due to their unique chemistry, unpredictable environmental pathways, and diverse risk profiles. These characteristics make detection, delineation, risk management, and remediation highly complex.

Our experienced team offers practical and efficient project-specific solutions to these challenges. We apply our expertise to understand the intricacies of emerging contaminants, creating effective strategies tailored to your specific project needs.

Within emerging contaminants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a class of thousands of distinct fluorinated organic compounds, each with its specific molecular makeup and physicochemical properties. Since the 1950s, PFAS have been used in manufacturing, chemical production, defense, and fire-extinguishing aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). The growing concern surrounding PFAS stems from their potential toxicity to human health and the environment, alongside the increasing frequency of their detection in environmental media, humans, wildlife, consumer goods, and food. The high chemical stability and dual water- and oil-repellent nature of PFAS, while beneficial in many applications, create significant challenges for environmental management once released.

Trihydro leverages our internal team of PFAS experts to address these challenges. Our guiding principle for PFAS-impacted sites is integrating site-specific data with evolving regulations and the latest scientific advancements in characterization and remediation technologies. Our team has direct experience leading nature and extent investigations for PFAS, including:

Conceptual site model development
Work plan preparation
Environmental sampling
Analytical data interpretation

Based on the investigation outcome, Trihydro develops a commensurate remedial strategy for the impacted media. Trihydro’s multi-disciplinary team also offers services including:

Fate and transport analysis
Risk assessment
Toxicology
Occupational health and safety
PFAS compliance reporting
AFFF changeout
Water treatment
Data validation
Litigation support

Trihydro Point of Contact

FRITZ KREMBS, PE, PG

Director of Remediation

Historically, the emerging contaminant 1,4-dioxane served as a stabilizer in chlorinated solvents and was utilized in specialty industrial processes. It is also a by-product of surfactant production and is commonly found in groundwater at sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents. 1,4-dioxane’s unique properties—a low propensity to vaporize from water, completely soluble in water, and a low tendency to bind to soil—increase its impacts on groundwater.

Trihydro is experienced in conducting site characterization, data validation, and remediation related to 1,4-dioxane. Our experts have successfully applied various treatment technologies, including:

In situ chemical oxidation using persulfate, ozone, and permanganate
In situ bioremediation using co-metabolism and bioaugmentation
Monitored natural attenuation
Phytoremediation

We also offer comprehensive support in screening and piloting technologies to identify the best approach for specific site conditions.

Trihydro Point of Contact

FRITZ KREMBS, PE, PG

Director of Remediation

As an emerging contaminant, microplastics (MPs) encompass a diverse range of synthetic polymer fragments, generally measuring less than 5 millimeters – about the size of a sesame seed. MP sources include single-use consumer plastics, industrial abrasives, microbeads in personal care products, synthetic textiles, and tire wear. MPs break down into nanoplastics (NPs), which are 1 micrometer or smaller, or about the size of a dust particle, posing an even greater environmental risk.

Concerns surrounding MPs and NPs arise from their widespread presence and potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. Their small size and persistence allow for ingestion by organisms, potentially leading to physical harm, bioaccumulation of associated chemicals, and disruption of food webs. MPs and NPs can also act as vectors for other pollutants, increasing the complexity of environmental contamination. Trihydro’s expertise in MPs and NPs focuses on:

Regulatory developments and research tracking
Compliance
Site and risk assessment
Remediation

Trihydro Point of Contact

FRITZ KREMBS, PE, PG

Director of Remediation

Widely employed as an antioxidant and antiozonant, the emerging contaminant 6PPD is often incorporated into tire manufacturing processes. Its function is to inhibit the degradation of rubber compounds, consequently prolonging tire lifespan and optimizing performance through protection from ozone cracking and oxidative damage. Consequently, 6PPD is present in tire-wear particles that are released into the environment through abrasion. Growing environmental concerns about 6PPD relate to its transformation products, particularly 6PPD-quinone, which is acutely toxic to certain aquatic species, especially coho salmon, and is implicated in widespread die-offs in urban streams. Understanding these compounds’ fate, transport, and toxicity is crucial for effective environmental management.

Trihydro’s approach to addressing our clients’ challenges related to 6PPD and its transformation products relies on our expertise in environmental chemistry, toxicology, and ecological risk assessment. Our multidisciplinary team is experienced in developing sampling and analytical strategies to identify and quantify 6PPD and its degradation products in various environmental matrices. We focus on understanding the sources and pathways of these compounds and support our clients in navigating regulations and developing mitigation and management strategies for tire-related contaminants.

Trihydro Point of Contact

FRITZ KREMBS, PE, PG

Director of Remediation

Once used extensively as part of agricultural operations and solvent production, 1,2,3-TCP has become a challenge for regulated entities due to its parts per trillion screening levels as well as the low soil sorption coefficient. These unique characteristics have resulted in elongated groundwater plumes requiring large spatial site characterization efforts and strategic plume control measures. Trihydro has been supporting 1,2,3-TCP assessment and remediation since 2013. Our team is experienced in supporting clients with complex 1,2,3-TCP sites, offering services such as passive diffusion bag sampling, public outreach and water replacement, 3D plume modeling and visualization, background studies, conceptual site model development, hydraulic control system design and installation, and expert testimony.

Trihydro Point of Contact

FRITZ KREMBS, PE, PG

Director of Remediation

United States Air Force

Alaska

Infrastructure | Emerging Contaminants

Phase I Remedial Investigation for PFAS

Air Force Civil Engineer Center

Multiple Air Force Bases

Industrial and Chemical | Assessment and Remediation | Emerging Contaminants

Environmental Sequence Stratigraphy

Training: PFAS Sampling and Analysis for Defensible Data Generation

Oil and Gas | Assessment and Remediation

1.5 hours

Training: PFAS Data Management and Assessment to Drive Risk-Based Decisions

Oil and Gas | Assessment and Remediation

2 hours

Training: PFAS Regulatory Updates and Due Diligence Requirements

Oil and Gas | Assessment and Remediation

1 hour

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