STOP Using High Pressure! Why Sorbent Placement Matters

In this podcast episode, AI hosts Max Flux and Sandi Loam explore why successful in situ sorbent treatment depends less on how far an amendment travels and more on how evenly it reaches contaminant mass and groundwater-flow pathways. Drawing on field research, the discussion examines ten performance, monitoring, cost, and safety concerns associated with high-pressure injection of powdered and granular sorbents—including fracture-controlled placement, incomplete treatment-zone coverage, biased monitoring results, and contaminant rebound. They also discuss how low-pressure colloidal activated carbon delivery can achieve broader, more consistent coverage by moving through accessible aquifer pore spaces. The key takeaway: effective remediation requires distributing the sorbent—not fracturing the formation.