Date: March 10th, 2026 | 1:30 PM (EST) | Location: Macdonald Engineering Building Room: 497 & ZOOM | Hybrid Free Event
Per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in thousands of industrial and commercial products for more than sixty years, leaving behind persistent and complex environmental contamination. As scientific understanding of PFAS toxicity, transformation, and mobility has evolved, so have regulatory expectations—yet practical, cost‑effective cleanup solutions remain limited.
In this seminar, Professor Kela Weber will present the latest advances in PFAS remediation, with a focus on emerging destruction‑based technologies designed for on‑site and in‑situ treatment. He will unpack why PFAS are so resistant to degradation, how they can transform under different environmental and treatment conditions, and why these transformations complicate risk assessment and contaminated‑site management.
Drawing on real projects spanning lab, pilot, and field scales, Professor Weber will highlight a suite of innovative approaches—including ball milling, gamma irradiation, UV‑activated reduction, combustion and smouldering, and biological treatments using bacteria and fungi. He will share mechanistic insights, cross‑cutting observations, and perspectives on the most promising paths forward for PFAS cleanup.
Kela Weber, PhD, PEng
Kela is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and the Director of the Environmental Sciences Group (ESG) at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is also a practising Professional Engineer involved in the design and implementation of site assessment and remediation programs, as well as an expert witness in cases involving PFAS litigation. The heart of Kela’s fundamental research program began with investigations into microbial communities and the fate and effect of emerging contaminants in environmental systems. His applied research program supports the management of contaminated sites in Canada with a focus on remote sites and emerging contaminants (PFAS in particular).