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PFAS Study → Interactive

Remediation Decision Tool

Adjust site conditions and planning assumptions. Watch the recommended remedy — and its cost — change in real time.

Sorption (Kd) 1.5L/kg

How strongly PFAS sticks to soil. Higher Kd = slower migration but harder cleanup.

0.30.51.02.05.015
Hydraulic Conductivity (K) 95m/d

How fast water flows through the aquifer. Higher K = faster plume migration.

510205095150
Planning Horizon
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level)

Current EPA standard: 4 ppt. Proposed: 2 ppt.

Years Until PFOS Exceeds MCL at Well Field
--
years
50 yr
--
Screening estimate (Domenico analytical). Our Monte Carlo ensemble shifts arrival significantly earlier at P5 — screening says 96 years, Monte Carlo says 5. That difference reverses the remedy recommendation. See full analysis →
Net Present Value Comparison
Pump & Treat (P&T) --
Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) --
Monitoring Only --
P&T Cleanup Time
P50
--
years
P95
--
years
P&T may not finish within planning horizon
P95 cost: $127M — exceeds typical budget
$100M
Why This Matters

The Hidden Multipliers

At Cape Cod defaults (Kd=1.5, K=95), PRB wins at the 100-year horizon. But drag Kd below 0.5 — sandy aquifer, weak sorption — and P&T becomes competitive because cleanup is faster. Now try the MCL buttons: drop from 4 ppt to 1 ppt and watch cleanup times nearly double. That regulatory uncertainty dwarfs the geological uncertainty.

This tool uses the Domenico analytical screening model (Model A from the study). It gives you the right intuition about parameter sensitivity, but it assumes a homogeneous aquifer. Our full Monte Carlo analysis shows that when you add heterogeneity, P&T tail scenarios blow past $120M at P95 — reversing the remedy recommendation in cases where this screening tool says P&T wins.

The Fidelity Lesson
This screening tool gets the direction right but misses the magnitude. A $500K site characterization investment resolves the Kd uncertainty that drives a $40M+ decision swing. Spend on information before concrete.