Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many scientists and researchers have dedicated their time and expertise to advance our understandings of the virus and provide essential resources to health care workers and the general public. SERDP Principal Investigators are among such volunteers who are pivoting to apply their technologies to the production of personal protective equipment (PPE). More
The SERDP and ESTCP Munitions Response Program held its spring In-Progress Review virtually last week. We wanted to highlight two projects focused on unique underwater munitions response issues. More
When I last wrote in late March, SERDP and ESTCP were just beginning remote operations and uncertain how long the situation would last. Here we are almost three months later and not much has changed. Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia are just starting the re-opening process and telework is still encouraged to the maximum extent possible. More
In 2020, SERDP began funding a group of projects designed to develop improved forensic methods and tools for source tracking and allocation of PFAS. A summary of these projects is provided in this blog post, with links to individual project web pages. More
A recently completed SERDP project provides a new understanding of seven target species and their conservation resilience as global climate change creates novel environments in and around Department of Defense (DoD) lands. More
Munitions are encountered in a variety of underwater environments as unexploded ordnance (UXO) or discarded military munitions (DMM). Dr. Steven Schmit and his team from Gradient Technology are evaluating the use of remotely operated high-pressure waterjets to cut open UXO and DMM as well as a capture system for the munitions constituents from ordnance that litter the ocean floors with as little disturbance of aquatic corals and sea mammals as possible. More
Firefighting formulations used for military operations on Department of Defense (DoD) installations historically contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in order to meet the performance requirements of MIL-F-24385F. However, the PFAS in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) poses risks to human health and the environment. SERDP and ESTCP have launched a number of projects over the years to research and demonstrate viable replacements for AFFF. More
An ESTCP project led by Dr. Jayesh Doshi of eSpinTechnologies Inc., is demonstrating a novel nanofiber-based HVAC air filtration system to reduce energy consumption and overall operational cost of conditioning air in buildings. To support the dire need for personal protective equipment cross the country, eSpin has responded by applying their technology and manufacturing capacity to produce much-needed face masks. More
Stormwater management is a continuing challenge at all Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. Stormwater discharges are regulated under federal and state permits yet are implicated as a major cause of contamination of sediment near discharge points at or close to DoD sites. More
Wildland firefighters and fire managers face a daunting challenge. The last century of forest management focused on extinguishing fires as quickly as possible. More