Environmental Warriors Cleaning Groundwater
Scott Wilson Tackles ‘Forever Chemicals’ Through Technology
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REGENESIS
By Nathan Worcester cott Wilson works to take persistent, toxic chemicals out of the environment. He’s the president and CEO of Regenesis, which aims to address hazardous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” in groundwater using an activated carbon solution called PlumeStop. Wilson’s concern with nature and the environment started early in life. “I’ve always been drawn to the water,” Wilson told The Epoch Times’ “Insight”. “This started in my early youth, where I spent days in the Pennsylvania woods exploring the streams, taking in all flora and fauna. Later in my youth, our family moved to San Diego, and I fell in love with the ocean. “I always wanted to be around water and learn as much as I could, whether studying the tide pools, watching how the cliffs erode, or even observing the wave action while surfing. Apart from the sheer beauty of water and the fact that it supports all life sources, I was also very interested in how water moves early on.” Through his parents’ membership in the National Wildlife Federation, Wilson was exposed to “Ranger Rick,” the iconic cartoon raccoon. In one story Wilson read as an 8-yearold, Ranger Rick and his friends couldn’t use their swimming hole— it had been polluted. “There was foam floating on top of the
water’s surface and trash everywhere,” Wilson recalled. “I just couldn’t believe someone would do that to a river. At that age, I didn’t comprehend that many rivers were actually much worse off, so much worse, in fact, that a river could catch fire, like the Cuyahoga River did, which happened about that same time.” “I was naturally led into this field from these early experiences and inspirations.” Hence his interest in groundwater contamination and, more specifically, PFAS. PFAS has emerged as a hot topic in recent months. In June, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule mandating PFAS reporting from manufacturers or importers of it. And in early October, California banned PFAS in food packaging and children’s clothing. More recently, PFAS have garnered scrutiny from Congress.
“Do we want these substances in our bodies or in the bodies of our children and grandchildren? ” Scott Wilson, president and CEO, Regenesis
In the popular media, PFAS have attracted attention from the likes of infotainment host John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight.” His company’s technology doesn’t destroy the PFAS that it filters out of groundwater. While some contaminants that
the system traps can be degraded by bacteria, PFAS aren’t among them. “The PFAS is bound beneath the surface of the earth as a constituent of the aquifer material, much like other compounds such as forms of lead and arsenic,” Wilson said. In other words, the product helps pull the PFAS out of the groundwater and binds it to the surrounding sand and rock. He articulates his perspective on PFAS chemicals carefully: “It is important to recognize that not all PFAS are the same. PFAS are a vast class of chemicals in the thousands with widely different environmental behavior and toxicological properties. The biggest concern right now is with two specific PFAS compounds, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).” PFOA has been linked to various cancers, including testicular cancer and kidney cancer. In addition, PFAS don’t deteriorate, meaning they accumulate within the body. Wilson poses a question about other PFAS compounds, which he notes haven’t all been studied extensively: “Do we want these substances in our bodies or in the bodies of our children and grandchildren? If the answer is no, then we should look for ways to reduce our exposure to PFAS where it makes sense, starting where there is the highest risk. My focus is on removing PFAS from groundwater and eliminating this specific exposure risk pathway.” PlumeStop has already been utilized at various sites, including the Camp Grayling Army Airfield in Michigan. “We just need more sites in the ground for a longer period of time to further demonstrate what the approach can do. That just takes time,” Wilson said. His environmental “war cry”? “Eliminate environmental risk now instead of waiting for a silver bullet.” I N S I G H T Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, 2021 51
