Dr Kapish Gobindlal (Director & Chief Scientist)
Environmental Decontamination (NZ) Limited

1. Can you share with our readers a bit about your current role as Director and Chief Scientist at Environmental Decontamination (NZ) Limited (EDL)?

My work revolves around the development of innovative solutions to treat hazardous waste challenges associated with PFAS, asbestos, and persistent organic pollutants.

EDL’s core technology is centred around ball milling, a mechanochemical process that can induce unique chemical reactions, like the destruction of extremely persistent organic contaminants. Since this is an emerging technology, a lot of my day-to-day is focused on building up the scientific fundamentals, working with academic collaborators, developing relationships with key government agencies, and directing multiyear technology programmes. This includes designing and testing system prototypes for the applications we are targeting.

Most of our projects are being done for the very first time, so there’s no recipe or method to follow; every day is incredibly diverse, from overcoming technical barriers to executing commercialisation strategies.

2. What are some of your most memorable moments throughout your career? What are you most proud of?

My career highlights are all related to overcoming major obstacles or tackling complex problems with out-of-the-box thinking. While it is nice to have personal efforts acknowledged along the way, I tend to recall the (many) failures of the journey: the hardest lessons are by far the most memorable.

Some of the achievements I am most proud of include pioneering mechanochemistry research to solve real-world environmental problems, developing innovative solutions from concept to implementation, and helping to build a team of world-leading deep technology experts at EDL. I am also pleased with the collaborations that have been formed with our partners around the world.

On the academic side of things, I was able to complete my PhD in chemistry and Master in Commercialisation while also juggling full-time work and starting a family. Not much sleep, a lot of perseverance, and all smiles at the end of that endeavour!

3. What are some innovations you have made in the environmental sector so far?

Innovation sits at the core of EDL. Since we are trying to solve environmental problems with new science, we have to be inventive with technology development for each application, in addition to how we approach these issues.

One of the major innovations EDL is currently pioneering is the non-thermal destruction of PFAS in solid media, like soil, sediment, and spent sorbents. Destruction technologies for PFAS-laden solids are extremely limited, and those that are effective typically require harsh conditions, such as extreme temperatures, high pressures, or hazardous oxidising agents. We have shown that PFAS can be destroyed in impacted solids using mechanochemical milling techniques that are effective at ambient temperature, pressure, and humidity. We are now scaling up this process for highly contaminated soil as part of a technology validation programme funded by the US Department of Defense. This project will be the first of its kind for demonstrating the scalability of EDL’s ball milling technology to destroy PFAS at industrially relevant volumes.

Other environmental innovations include the development of high efficiency grinding systems for materials processing. For example, EDL is in the late stages of development for a waste-to-value process that takes mussel shell waste and converts it into high purity calcium carbonate powders that can be sold on to the market for use in products like concrete, paint, and agricultural products. We have also built systems for processing natural pozzolans into fine powders for cement replacement in concrete, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the final concrete product.

4. I’ve read your research article on using ball milling to destroy PFAS in contaminated soil and PFAS-containing products like fire-fighting foams. What are the next steps for EDL to progress this work?

In this paper, which was a collaboration between EDL, the University of Auckland, and the US Environmental Protection Agency, we validated an effective mechanochemical technique that can achieve high rates of PFAS destruction (>99%) for AFFF concentrates and contaminated soils. While this work confirmed the viability of mechanochemical destruction for real-world problems using benchtop devices, further R&D is required to scale-up the process. As part of ongoing work in this area, EDL was recently awarded a multiyear grant from the US Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program to evaluate ball milling as a destruction technique for PFAS impacted soils.

It is envisaged that the outcomes of the project will aptly profile a scalable technological solution for the destruction of PFAS in soils at throughput rates that are relevant to contaminated sites. Much of this development work will lead to new innovations and findings for nonthermal PFAS destruction, and subsequently, effective treatment tools for environmental practitioners.

5. I’m aware that you completed your PhD in chemistry a couple years ago, which led to new discoveries and the validation of a novel method for the destruction PFAS and other organic pollutants at a molecular level. What inspired you to pursue this area of research?

The use of ball milling for the destruction of organic contaminants is not a new idea, however, there was a lot of scepticism around the validity of mechanochemistry to degrade persistent organic substances like PFAS. Does ball milling actually work? How and why do these reactions progress?

Most of the existing research verified that PFAS could be destroyed, but they didn’t delve into the underlying chemical reactions which drive these reactions forward. So, after working with EDL for a couple of years while living in London, I set back to New Zealand in 2018 to start my PhD to answer those exact questions. I wanted my research to have a real-world impact, where the outcomes could be used to develop meaningful solutions for pollution and waste issues.

Balancing life, work, and the PhD was definitely a challenge over 3½ years, yet extremely worthwhile. By the end of my PhD, we had developed international collaborations with the likes of the US Environmental Protection Agency, published research articles in leading international journals, and built a unique R&D capability right here in New Zealand. We’re now taking these learnings to the next stage and scaling up the process to solve real-world problems at an industrial level.

BIO:

Dr Kapish Gobindlal is a deep technology specialist working in the environmental sector, with projects spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. In his role as Director & Chief Scientist at Environmental Decontamination (NZ) Limited, Kapish leads the development and commercialisation of mechanochemical technologies to address complex waste challenges, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), asbestos, and obsolete pesticides. He completed his PhD at the University of Auckland where his research focused on the discovery and validation of a novel mechanochemical method for the destruction of PFAS, which are very stable and extremely persistent pollutants of enormous concern to the environment and human health. He is also an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Auckland, where he is positioned at the interface between high-quality research and industry.

Article Published on 31/05/2024

The statements, analyses, opinions, information and conclusions that may be found in the articles of this publication are those of the author and not of the Australasian Land & Groundwater Association Ltd (ALGA), which only acts in the capacity as publisher. No part of this publication can be regarded as legal advice. Although care has been taken in preparing this publication, neither ALGA nor the author represent or warrant that the information supplied is current, complete or accurate. To the full extent permitted by law, the author and ALGA do not accept any liability, or owe a duty of care, to any person in respect of any such information. No person should rely in any way on the content of this publication and are encouraged to seek independent legal or other professional advice, if required.