N. Dagnillo₁, L. Hill₂, A. Fortune₃, A. Smith₄, and S. Thompson₂
¹Trihydro Corporation, 3001 E. Pershing Blvd, Suite 115, Cheyenne, WY 82007
²Trihydro Corporation, 1537 Riverside Ave., Suite 101, Fort Collins, CO 80524
³Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., 2655 Park Center Drive, Suite A, Simi Valley, CA 93065
⁴Trihydro Corporation, 9460 Calle Milano, Atascadero, CA 93422

Vapor intrusion is a fate and transport process characterized by the upward movement of volatile chemicals from subsurface contamination (e.g., buried waste, contaminated groundwater) into overlying buildings. The potential for adverse human health effects from exposure to indoor air vapors has motivated private, state, and federal entities to develop guidance documents and protocols specific to the collection and analysis of soil vapor data.

Read more about Vapor Intrusion Investigations…

By Steve Wing

On June 14, 2010, ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) issued E 2600-10, Standard Guide for Vapor Encroachment Screening on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions. This document revises and supersedes ASTM E 2600-08, Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions, issued on March 3, 2008.¹

Read more about vapor intrusion…

The increase in regulatory oversight at vapor intrusion sites nationwide, as well as recent publication of Federal and local vapor intrusion guidance documents and screening levels has led to a need for reliable air phase (indoor air and sub-slab/soil vapor) data at extremely low concentrations. This paper will explore and discuss the importance of media cleanliness and certification to achieve typical low level data quality objectives.

Several potential pathways of media contamination will be examined, including: canisters, flow controllers/critical orifice assemblies, vacuum gauges, and canister pressurization/fill stations in the laboratory.

Several contamination situations will be explored and quantified. The resulting data will be used to support laboratory and field sampling best practice recommendations.

Read the complete air sampling media cleanliness case study… (Acrobat PDF)

Soil gas sampling is increasing in frequency across the country as vapor intrusion continues to gain regulatory attention. When evaluating the potential for vapor intrusion at a particular site, it is useful to collect soil gas samples to find out how vapors and contaminants of concern are migrating in the subsurface, and whether or not those vapors are migrating indoors. Soil gas sampling, used in conjunction with state specific screening criteria and/or modeling, is often an intermediate step between screening based on groundwater concentration and collecting indoor air samples.

The goal of soil gas sampling is to collect a sample of the vapor that resides in the interstitial soil pores near a source of contamination and/or near a potential receptor structure. To sample soil gas, a temporary or permanent soil vapor probe is installed. If the well is installed incorrectly or is not sealed properly, leaks to the ambient air may occur. This can dilute or otherwise influence the concentrations seen, potentially leading to incorrect decision making.

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