Project Grant 2207235

The National Science Foundation awarded a $583,500 Project Grant to the Colorado School of Mines under the Engineering federal grant program (CFDA 47.041). The grant will support research to evaluate hydrothermal liquefaction as a strategy for simultaneously destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater residual solids, while recovering energy and nutrients. Over three years, the Colorado School of Mines will conduct experiments to identify hydrothermal liquefaction process conditions that ensure PFAS destruction in sludges from water resource recovery facilities. Researchers will also develop and validate a systems modeling framework to optimize sludge valorization for fuel and nutrient recovery, while safely destroying PFAS contaminants. The research has the potential for transformative impact through the development of a new technology to address sludge PFAS contamination and advance resource recovery from waste streams.