AFFF Cleanout Services

TRS Group (TRS), a 100% employee-owned company, is a global provider of PFAS and thermal remediation technologies for the in situ treatment of soils, groundwater and bedrock and the ex situ treatment of soil piles and dredged sediment.

As the exclusive North American licensee of the patented PerfluorAd^TMtechnology, TRS also provides aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) cleanout services. We can reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations in AFFF fire suppression systems by more than 99%. Developed by Cornelsen GmbH, TRS Group’s partner in Essen, Germany, PerfluorAd is ideal for cleaning trucks, fixed systems, storage vessels, hoses and piping. The method, which includes treatment of rinse water, generates little to no waste.

Costs are generally less than a tenth of replacing those systems and components.

AFFF Challenges and Solutions

While being phased-out from firefighting systems, PFAS are found in AFFF and equipment. Helping the industry cope with this challenge, TRS is optimizing a method for cleaning PFAS out of fire extinguishing equipment. We discuss the challenges of AFFF removal and have a discussion of an effective solution at the link.

Play

How It Works

PerﬂuorAd is a biodegradable cleaning agent that preferentially forms a weak bond with PFAS. We circulate a dilute solution through every part of the ﬁre suppression system, including pipes, hoses, valves, storage vessels, pumps, etc., until we reach acceptable eﬀluent concentration levels. Cleaning a ﬁre truck usually takes three to five days.

After removing the PFAS from the firefighting equipment, we use the PerfluorAd^TM system to treat the rinsate. Typically, the total waste volume is just a few gallons. For a detailed description of how the PerfluorAd^TMtechnology works on firefighting vehicles, follow the link here.

Newsletter Articles

AFFF is removed from a fire truck at Sea-Tac airport using PerfluorAd.

TRS Group and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Remove Forever Chemicals from Firefighting Vehicles

The Port of Seattle Fire Department at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, working with TRS, is the first airport in the U.S. to use the PerfluorAd process to
thoroughly clean AFFF, which contain PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” from all its aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles.

Transition to flourine-free foam: Now or later?

As regulatory agencies will soon prohibit the use of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), fire fighters, especially at airports, have begun the transition to foams without per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In this article we discuss issues related to the transition.

Triple rinse – how effective is it compared to PerfluorAd?

TRS recently compared the effectiveness of triple-rinse (three rinses of the AFFF tank using potable water only) to rinsing with a PerfluorAd^TM solution.

Cleaning AFFF from a Major International Airport Firefighting Vehicle

Applying the PerfluorAd^TM process at a major, west coast, international airport in July 2022, TRS, with EFI Global, Inc., performed a clean-out of AFFF on a firefighting vehicle.

Field Results from AFFF Removal and Cleaning of Firefighting Vehicles

TRS Group treated five firefighting vehicles at the Eastern Connecticut Fire School in Willimantic, cleaning each in less than five days. The cleanouts involved several rinsing cycles using warm PerfluorAd and water. Additionally, we treated the rinsate using flocculation and granular activated charcoal, producing a total of less than 50 gallons of waste.

AFFF Clean Out

TRS Group recently completed the first commercial application of the PerfluorAd^TM technology in North America, cleaning out aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) impacted firefighting equipment for the State of Connecticut.

A Letter from the North Pole: The Gift of PFAS Removal

We anticipate an early present this year in North Pole, Alaska, just a sleigh ride away from Eielson Air Force Base, where TRS Group is applying its patented FlexHeater® thermal remediation services to remove PFAS from an ex-situ soil stockpile.

From Research and Development to PFAS Project Implementation

Currently, our R&D team is working on reducing the costs of our patented thermal treatment of PFAS system and our patent-pending FlexHeater® thermal conduction heating services.

Fire-trucks-on-the-Cornelsen-site-scaled-e1638461628579.jpg

Building International Business Relationships during a Pandemic

In 2012, TRS began a search for European business partners to help with the expansion of our in situ thermal remediation services. Shortly thereafter, TRS and our partners formed the European Thermal Alliance, which included Cornelsen Umwelttechnologie GmbH implementing projects in Germany.

Cleaning AFFF Fire Suppression Equipment with the PerfluorAd^TM System

Developed by Cornelsen GmbH, TRS Group’s partner in Essen, Germany, the PerfluorAd^TM system is an ideal technology for cleaning out fire suppression systems, including trucks, storage vessels, hoses and piping.

TRS Group Granted Exclusive License for the PerfluorAd^TM PFAS Remediation Technology in North America

Cornelsen in Germany has granted TRS the exclusive license in North America for applying the patented PerfluorAd^TMtechnology to clean out fire suppression systems impacted by PFAS found in aqueous film forming foams (AFFF).

Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-12.18.07-PM-1024x565-1.png

Cleaning PFAS-Impacted AFFF Fire Suppression Equipment with PerfluorAd

Airports, municipalities, industrial facilities, the Department of Defense and others have made enormous investments in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) fire suppression systems. As these foams often contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), using the fire suppression equipment can result in contaminating soil and groundwater.

Cleaning AFFF Fire-Fighting Systems

The PerfluorAd^TMsystem is ideal for cleaning out fire-fighting systems, such as trucks, storage vessels, hoses and piping, impacted by aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS Thermal Desorption Evaluation

There is an increasing interest in identifying solutions to remove PFAS from vadose zone soils for the protection of groundwater at sites throughout the United States. While much of the current effort focuses on mitigating the environmental liability’s risk by treating groundwater, removing PFAS sources will reduce costs and is far more sustainable than running pump and treat systems indefinitely.

TRS Group Patented PFAS Treatment

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded TRS Group, Inc. (TRS) a patent for the thermal treatment of per‐and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil (Oberle, D and E. Crownover, 2020). The patented process uses heaters to raise soil temperatures to desorb and volatilize PFAS.

FlexHeater® TCH Achieves 99.9% Reduction of PFAS in Soils

TRS developed a thermal remediation technique for the treatment of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including coal tar, mercury, PCBs and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil.

AFFF Cleanout Challenges and Solutions

PFAS, a component of aqueous film forming foam, is different than the contaminants we have been treating for the last 30 years. We discuss how this affects our solutions.

Request a Quote

By filling out our Site Evaluation Form, you will help us determine the best approach for your project.

Contact Us

For more information about the PerfluorAd^TM system and how it can help with your project, contact info@atriplef.com.

Home

RESOURCES

THERMAL

AFFF Cleanout Services

AFFF Cleanout Services

AFFF Challenges and Solutions

How It Works