This project addresses two connected challenges: 1) Proven carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies such as enhanced weathering and biochar remain difficult to scale due to limited financing, 2) Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination has impacted large areas of agricultural land and created a growing economic burden and public health risk.
This project will demonstrate a remediation framework that embeds CDR into PFAS cleanup, allowing state, federal, and litigation-based remediation funding to support large-scale CDR. By combining plant-based PFAS removal, increased plant uptake through soil chemistry changes, and thermal treatment of harvested biomass to destroy PFAS and produce biochar, remediation and CDR occur simultaneously.
The project team will demonstrate this strategy at scale to evaluate its effectiveness and cost efficiency. If successful, this work will provide agencies with a practical, lower-cost pathway to restore contaminated farmland, reduce PFAS exposure, and deliver meaningful long-term CDR.
