Location: Region 9 | Published: December 19, 2023
In December 2020, ecoSPEARS was contracted by a client in Region 9 to conduct a pilot to extract polychlorinated biphenyls from the port. Due to the port’s sensitive ecosystem and economic significance, traditional methods like dredging were not feasible. As an alternative, ecoSPEARS conducted a pilot deployment to assess the efficacy of its SPEARS technology in removing polychlorinated biphenyls from the port. Sampling occurred at one-year and two-year intervals post-deployment, and polychlorinated biphenyls concentration analysis was performed on both the SPEARS body plastic and internal reagent using ecoSPEARS’ in-house laboratory and third-party testing.
Over the course of the pilot, the SPEARS successfully reduced the concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls by 173.5 PPB with just the plastic body, and an additional reduction of 1.4 PPB from the internal reagent. To further assess the SPEARS’ capabilities, the plastic also was tested for other contaminants, which found 20 additional compounds had been absorbed by the SPEARS plastic. Including a number of PAHs and carcinogenic alkenes.
These findings verify the efficacy for ecoSPEARS to effectively remove polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as additional
compounds, such as PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and Carcinogenic Alkenes, from impacted sites. Based on the results of the pilot demonstration, SPEARS offers a viable remediation alternative for ports and other sites facing similar
operational challenges and contaminate profiles.