TRS Group

Thermal Remediation Services Of VOCs, SVOCs, & PFAS

TRS Group (TRS), a Parsons company, provides thermal remediation technologies for the volatilization of organic contaminants from soil, bedrock, and groundwater in North America, South America, and Europe.

What Is Thermal Remediation?

Thermal remediation involves heating the subsurface (or a soil pile) to volatilize organic compounds, including chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons and PFAS.

The most deployed technologies in thermal remediation are electrical resistance heating (ERH) and thermal conduction heating (TCH). The systems include integral vapor capture and treatment at the surface. The technologies are remarkably robust, work in tight matrices, including clay and bedrock, and typically achieve concentration reductions exceeding 99.9%.

How Does Thermal Remediation Work?

TRS heats the subsurface (or stockpiled soil) to vaporize the contaminants, which we capture, extract and treat with above ground systems (usually granular activated charcoal). Interestingly, our methods first remediate light and dense non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL and DNAPL, respectively). TRS has completed more than 200 thermal remediation projects, primarily for source zone removal.

We have applied our remedial solutions (in situ and ex situ) to treat chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, and PFAS. Typical contaminant reductions exceed 99.9%. Our patented technologies are so robust that we often guarantee results.

Please fill out the form below to have our experts evaluate your site and provide our technical approach and pricing.

Site Evaluation Form

Comparing Different Types Of Thermal Remediation

Technology	Soil Types	Contaminants	Temperature
Thermal conduction heating (TCH)	All types and bedrock	VOCs in all matrices SVOCs and PFAS in vadose zone or ex situ	Up to 600°C in vadose zone or ex situ
Electrical resistance heating (ERH)	All types and bedrock	VOCs in all matrices	Boiling point of water
Steam enhanced extraction (SEE)	Sand and gravel	Primarily for LNAPL removal	Boiling point of water

Thermal Conduction Heating (TCH)

Soil Type: All types and bedrock
Contaminants: VOCs in all matrices SVOCs and PFAS in vadose zone or ex situ
Temperature: Up to 600°C in vadose zone or ex situ

Electrical Resistance Heating (ERH)

Soil Type: All types and bedrock
Contaminants: VOCs in all matrices
Temperature: Boiling point of water

Steam Enhanced Extraction (SEE)

Soil Type: Sand and gravel
Contaminants: Primarily for LNAPL removal
Temperature: Boiling point of water

FlexHeater® Thermal Conduction Heating Services

We apply thermal conduction heating (TCH) in situ or ex situ for the treatment of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs). TCH remediation involves heating narrow diameter steel pipes to hundreds of degrees Celsius. The heat propagates radially away from the pipes, evaporating the contaminants. Using our flexible heaters, we can achieve temperatures in the vadose (unsaturated) zone and ex situ cells high enough to volatilize high boiling contaminants, including PCBs, PAHs and PFAS. Our FlexHeater® remediation service is effective in all types of soil and bedrock, typically achieving 99% or more contaminant concentration reductions.

OptiFlux® Electrical Resistance Heating Services

Commonly used for in situ remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), electrical resistance heating (ERH) applies electrical energy to the ground through electrodes. The soil matrix acts as a resistor and heats up to the boiling point of water. Adept at optimizing electrical flux, we often complete projects ahead of schedule and under budget. Applying our OptiFlux® remediation services, we heat the matrix to sub-steaming temperatures to accelerate the natural degradation of contaminants. Our OptiFlux® ERH service is effective in all types of soil and sedimentary bedrock, typically achieving 99% or more contaminant concentration reductions.

Accelerated Federal Contracting

To provide accelerated delivery of commercial technology solutions across the Department of Defense, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) launched the Commercial Solutions Catalog, an acquisition mechanism that enables the Federal government to procure services in a collaborative, expedited, cost-saving manner.
Once TRS receives DIU’s Success Memo, any Federal agency will be able to sole-source PFAS thermal desorption projects to TRS, streamlining procurement and allowing agencies to rapidly implement proven, innovative solutions for PFAS remediation.

Featured Projects and Highlights

PFAS Solutions

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances The legal and regulatory landscape for PFAS is in flux and continues to evolve. However, significant progress has been made in the technical understanding of PFAS, […]

Parsons Acquires TRS Group, Inc.

Acquisition strategically enhances Parsons’ cross-segment environmental remediation capabilities CHANTILLY, VA (February 4, 2025) – Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) announced today that it has acquired TRS Group, Inc. (TRS), an environmental […]

PerfluorAd™: A Breakthrough For AFFF Decontamination In Fire Suppression

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Thermal Desorption Of PFAS In Soil Remediation — Anchorage, Alaska

In October 2024, TRS Group (TRS) completed its third and largest thermal desorption of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil remediation project at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, […]

PerfluorAd™

Explore PerfluorAd technology for effective PFAS remediation and thermal soil treatment, as well as AFFF cleanout.

Electrical Resistance Heating Remediation In Europe During Covid-19 Pandemic

We completed the first electrical resistance heating (ERH) project in Germany in May 2021. The site at US Army Garrison (USAG) Wiesbaden was a former maintenance area near the airport […]

TRS Group Embraces Guarantees

May 13, 2021 We have such confidence in our robust heating technologies and our employes, we have offered guarantees on more than 75% of our projects. Further, our guarantees have […]

Calibrating Thermal Remediation Models

As we offer electrical resistance heating, steam enhanced extraction, and thermal conduction heating services, it is crucial that we provide our clients with the most cost-effective thermal solution that meets […]

ERH In An Active Facility

The Arrowhead Associates, Inc./Scovill Corp. Superfund Site (the Site) is in Virginia’s Northern Neck region between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Historical manufacturing activities, including degreasing and electroplating, resulted in […]

Client Testimonials

"I appreciate their dedication to client service, their hard work, commitment to quality, going above and beyond, giving it their all, solving problems in a quality way, and excellent communication skills. I really appreciate their ability to solve problems without needless change orders. They are rock stars."

Mike Palmer, Project Coordinator
de maximis

“Working with TRS on this project was one of the highlights of my career. Coming into the project, I was excited knowing that it would be a combined remedy with a few site-specific nuances. From the onset of construction, to operation, to thermal destruction of the TCE source area, to final decommissioning of the equipment, the TRS team was exceptional at communicating with me what data they needed for successful implementation of their thermal system. The client was ecstatic about the results that we achieved."

Scott Connors, Senior Geologist
Wilcox Environmental Engineering

“I tend to be skeptical of most in situ remediation technologies. Just because a concept proves effective in a lab, doesn’t mean it will always translate to your site. There’s one exception. After using in situ thermal remediation on one of our projects, I’m a believer. ISTR works. If you can deliver the heat, you can extract your source.”

Jonathan Shuptar P.G., Geologist
V3 Companies

"As a member of the Department of Defense’s ESTCP review committee, I evaluated, and ultimately approved, TRS Group’s proposal to demonstrate their ex-situ thermal desorption technology for PFAS-impacted soils at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. Not only did TRS achieve the goal of reaching an average soil pile temperature of 350 degrees Celsius, but TRS, at its own expense, also kept the system running and reached an average temperature of 414 degrees. The TRS project and engineering professionals were dedicated, worked diligently, and communicated well throughout the project. Subsequently, as a reviewer for DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit, I evaluated, and ultimately approved, TRS’s funding request for a similar, but larger, ex-situ soil project in Anchorage, Alaska, to compare the cost-efficiency of TRS’s thermal desorption technology to similar technologies for PFAS-impacted soil."

Richard "Hunter" Anderson, Ph.D.
U.S. Air Force

“TRS closely collaborated with our team and was a true partner that shared real project risk. Throughout the complex implementation of the project, TRS unwaveringly met the needs and addressed the concerns of multiple stakeholders, including a major railroad, community organization, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Air Force, US EPA and utilities. TRS’s professionalism, technical proficiency and leadership yielded a successful outcome lauded by our Government clients and resulted in ‘Exceptional’ Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) ratings for three years in all categories.”

Ken Cottrell, Principal
HydroGeoLogic

“Environmental Restoration has enjoyed partnering with TRS on thermal remediation projects since 2017. TRS is a knowledgeable and professional partner whose technical expertise has been invaluable in remediating challenging Superfund Sites.”

Andrew Grimmke
Environmental Restoration

“TRS Group came on to our project at a critical time and was able to take on contractual performance risks that were requirements of the project. Due to the financial stability of their firm, TRS was also able to secure the necessary payment and performance bonding to provide further assurances to Ramboll and our client. Further, TRS held the patents to thermal conductive heating technology that ensured their ability to fully execute the project. They provided and met an aggressive schedule that was required by the client all while working through COVID with multiple out-of-state drilling subcontractors. Performance of the thermal conduction heating system exceeded expectations. Performance was confirmed through soil temperature and energy monitoring as well as vapor-based asymptote tracking. Once these lines of evidence were met, soil sampling was performed and confirmed that the soil goals had been exceeded by an order of magnitude. As challenges presented themselves, TRS took a collaborative approach with Ramboll and our client to ensure the project moved forward in a mutually beneficial, productive way.”

Bruce Kennington, Principal
Ramboll

Employee Spotlights

Our employee spotlights showcase the unique expertise and experiences that shape our team. From varied career paths to specialized skills, each profile offers a glimpse into the talent and perspectives driving our projects.

Employee Spotlight: Michelle Nanista

Learn more about Michelle Nanista, Managing Principal Engineer at TRS, A Parsons Company. Position: Managing Principal EngineerLocation: Pacific, MissouriTRS Employee-Owner Year Started: 2008Specialties: Pricing development, cost support, technology selection and […]