Vapor Instrusion: The Three most often asked questions
Transcription
Vapor Instrusion: The Three most often asked questions
Vapor Intrusion: The Top Three Most Often Asked Questions? 5th AIPG Conference: Innovative Environmental Assessment and Remediation Technology April 23 & 24, 2014 Kennesaw State Continuing Education Center Presented by: Jim Fineis P.G Atlas Geo-Sampling Company jimfineis@atlas-geo.com www.atlas-geo.com 770-883-3372 Vapor Intrusion: The Top Three Most Often Asked Questions? 1) If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? 2) Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? 3) Is Collecting Indoor Air (IA) Samples a Good Alternative to Collection Sub-slab, Near-slab or At Depth Vapor Samples? Where do I Sample? Should I Collect Indoor Air? Is PVI Really an Issue? Question #1 If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? The recent adoption of ASTM E1527-13 and the use of ASTM E2600-10 to conduct vapor encroachment screenings, a lot of questions concerning how to conduct a vapor intrusion investigations are being been asked. The most often questions are: 1) 2) 3) 4) Where on the property should I collect the samples? How many samples should I collect? What depths should the samples be collected? Should I use tedlar bags or summa canisters? Question #1 If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? 1) Where on the property should I collect the samples? The answer to the question is site specific but there are general guidelines: ² If the VI concern is from a VEC, the most appropriate places to collect vapor samples are as follows: q Approximately 5’ above the existing groundwater table if it is suspected that the vapors are being generated by the groundwater or a free-phase plume. q Three to five feet above the suspected source if it is an “at depth” source (assuming it is not groundwater). An example might be that you are on a “zero lot line” property and there are underground tanks along the property line. q At a depth of approximately 3 feet below ground surface if the suspected source is a building on a “zero lot line” property. q Within or as close to the backfill if the source is a suspected preferential pathway. Examples could include utility conduits, shallow rock or other man made conduits. Question #1 If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? 1) Where on the property should I collect the samples? The answer to the question is site specific but there are general guidelines: ² If the VI concern is from a VIC, and the concern is for an existing building or buildings onsite, the following approach is common: q Sub-slab vapor samples are the most accurate way to determine if there is a risk to the current or future tenants of a building. q At depth implants are a viable option if access to the building is not granted or is not advisable. Question #1 If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? 1) Where on the property should I collect the samples? The answer to the question is site specific but there are general guidelines: ² If the VI concern is from a VIC, and the concern is for vacant property or a site where the proposed footprint of a building is known: q At depth implants installed to a depth of approximately three feet below ground surface is the preferred approach. q Make sure you address any new utility conduits that may be installed. q Base the number of implants installed on the proposed size of the future building and how many potential onsite sources are being addressed. Question #1 If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? 1) Should I use tedlar bags or summa canisters? Either method is acceptable but remember the limitations of tedlar bags: q Approximately a 25% decrease in concentration after 24 hours. q Approximately a 50% decrease in concentration after 72 hours. q Some compounds can “stick” to the inside of the bag and not provide a true representation of the sample collected. Summa canisters are the “gold’ standard and have hold time up to 30 days. A cost benefit analysis of tedlar bags (quick turn around time) vs. summa canisters (standard turn around time) may indicate that there is not much cost difference. Vapor Intrusion: The Top Three Most Often Asked Questions? Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? And the Answer is ? Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Before December 2013, the answer would have been NO. After December 2013 the answer is ALMOST. What changed in December 2013? The EPA added TPH aromatic low, TPH aromatic medium, TPH aromatic high, TPH aliphatic low and TPH aliphatic medium values to the Regional Screening Levels (RSL) tables for indoor air concentrations (industrial and residential). Why is this a “game changer” ? If you can not use exclusion criteria (we will talk more about this later) to “exit” the vapor intrusion pathway, there is a high risk that your site will indicate that the vapor intrusion pathway is complete. Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? How does the EPA define TPH aromatic low, TPH aromatic medium, TPH aromatic high, TPH aliphatic low and TPH aliphatic ? q TPH Aromatic Low = C6 – C8 q TPH Aromatic Medium = C9 – C16 q TPH Aromatic High = C17 – C32 q TPH Aliphatic Low = C5 – C8 q TPH Aliphatic Medium = C9 – C16 Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Why is this a “game changer” ? q It is a potential “game changer” because the TPH components do not bio-degrade as readily as the typical BTEX compounds. q Many PVI sites that would have required no further investigation with regards to vapor intrusion will now require further investigation. Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Indoor Air 1 Subslab Soil Vapor 2 Chemical Residential (µg/m3) Commercial/Industrial (µg/m3) Residential (µg/m3) Commercial/Industrial (µg/m3) Benzene 0.31 1.6 310 3,200 Ethylbenzene 0.97 4.9 970 9,800 Toluene 5,200 22,000 5,200,000 44,000,000 Xylenes 100 440 100,000 880,000 0.072 0.36 72 720 C5-C8 aliphatics 630 880 630,000 1,760,000 C9-C18 aliphatics 100 150 100,000 300,000 C9-C16 aromatics 100 150 100,000 300,000 Naphthalene Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? How can I avoid having to conduct vapor sampling when dealing with a site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons? You better hope you can meet certain “exclusion criteria” that will allow you to get off the vapor intrusion pathway with having to sample. What are these “exclusion criteria? Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Exclusion criteria can be defined as a series of criteria which if met on PVI sites can allow for the vapor pathway to NOT be considered complete. The proposed vertical exclusion criteria are as follows: q High Contamination Sites – defined as having LNAPL, TPH (GRO) > 30 mg/L or Benzene >5 mg/L in groundwater or soil containing > 250 mg/kg TPH (GRO) or Benzene > 10 mg/kg If the site meets the above criteria after an adequate subsurface investigation and you have the following criteria then vapor intrusion investigation “should” not be required: Vertical Exclusion Criteria 15’ or greater depth between the lowest part of the structure Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Exclusion criteria can be defined as a series of criteria which if met on PVI sites can allow for the vapor pathway to NOT be considered complete. The proposed vertical exclusion criteria are as follows: q Low Contamination Sites - defined as having LNAPL, TPH (GRO) < 30 mg/L or Benzene <5 mg/L in groundwater or soil containing < 250 mg/kg TPH (GRO) or Benzene< 10 mg/kg If the site meets the above criteria after an adequate subsurface investigation and you meet the following criteria then vapor intrusion investigation “should” not be required: Vertical Exclusion Criteria 6’ or greater depth between the lowest part of the structure Question # 2 Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? Exclusion criteria can be defined as a series of criteria which if met on PVI sites can allow for the vapor pathway to NOT be considered complete. The determination of Lateral exclusion criteria is not quite as strait forward. There is a EPA document on this topic. The document is titled as follows: “An Approach for Developing Site-Specific Lateral and Vertical Inclusion Zones within which Structures Should be Evaluated for Petroleum Vapor Intrusion due to Releases of Motor Fuel from Underground Storage Tanks” A general guideline for lateral distances is that they are the same as vertical exclusion distances. 6’ & 15’. This is going to be a site specific value that will need to be discussed with the appropriate parties (regulators, legal council, client, etc. ). Question # 3 Is Collecting Indoor Air (IA) Samples a Good Alternative to Collection Sub-slab, Near-slab or At Depth Vapor Samples? In my opinion the CLEAR answer is NO! Why do I feel so strongly about this? There are too many other sources of volatile compounds that can be found in the indoor air. There is a “movement” within the EPA to have indoor air samples collected for a much longer duration than the current 8-hr or 24-hr time frame. The new thought process is to have indoor air samples collected from 7 to 21 DAYS!. The theory behind this thinking is to “capture” the random vapor intrusion “events” that seem to occur. Those of you who have attended one of my previous talks on vapor intrusion may remember the slides about these “events”. Please see me later if you want more information of these random “vapor intrusion events”. Question # 3 Is Collecting Indoor Air (IA) Samples a Good Alternative to Collection Sub-slab, Near-slab or At Depth Vapor Samples? What are the possible sources of chemicals that could show up in your indoor air sample? A lot more things than you might realize!!!!!!! Credit and Disclaimer: The following data and information was collected and presented by Suzie Nawikas of H&P Mobile Geochemistry at the 2014 AEHS Vapor Intrusion conference in San Diego. The following disclaimers apply: q H&P is not a product testing laboratory. q No claims about any brands are being made and any likeness to particular brands is unintentional. q NO company is being accused of any wrongdoing; as far as we know, all of the companies that produce these products are in compliance with the regulations that apply to their industry. * Shaving Cream * Daily use product * Hair removal cream had over 27,000 ug/ m3 TPH Aliphatics. * REMINDER: NOT appropriate for a leak check compound Compound Shaving Noncancer Cancer (µg/m3) (µg/m3) Cream Benzene 389 0.310 31.00 Toluene 789 n/a 5,200.00 Ethylbenzene 77 0.970 1,000.00 Xylenes Naphthalene 142 104 n/a 100.00 0.072 3.10 Hexachlorobutadiene 89 0.110 n/a * Lotions and Sunscreen Compound Sunscreen Body Cancer (µg/ Noncancer m3 ) (µg/m3) Lotion Ethanol 110,000 150 n/a n/a Ethyl acetate 11,000 - n/a 73.00 48 - 9.400 3,100.00 93,000 2,800 n/a n/a (C5-C8) Aliphatics - 1,200 13.000 630.00 (C9-C10) Aromatics 640 - n/a 3.10 (C9-C12) Aliphatics 39,000 4,400 0.540 100.00 MTBE TPH (C5-C11) Sunscreen FAQ: An aerosol sunscreen was recalled for fire hazards. People were applying it then going to a heat source (grill) and combusting. Lotions * Sunscreen * Mildly scented body lotion * Shampoo & Conditioner * Middle shelf brand * According to European and Canadian reports, carcinogens are in almost every brand Compound Shampoo Conditioner 1,4-Dioxane 87 - Chloromethane 170 Cancer Noncancer (µg/m3) (µg/m3) 0.490 31.00 88 n/a 94.00 6,500 120 n/a 73.00 Isopropylbenzene - 280,000 n/a 420.00 (C9-C12) Aliphatics 11,000 32,000 0.540 100.00 Ethyl acetate * Fish Oil Vitamins Heart Health x 2 = 2,400 mg “Holy Crap Carp” * Broke open (2) pills, squeezed the supplement into the VOA, dropped in both capsule casings, and closed the lid. Fish Oil Cancer (µg/ m3 ) 1,3-Butadiene 39 0.081 Benzene 19 0.310 Compound * Baby Wipes Testing Procedure * A syringe was pushed into the packaging and a sample was pulled from the interior “headspace” into the syringe, which was immediately injected into the instrument. Compound Benzene Two different brands of baby wipes were tested with similar results. Is it from packaging, material, or soap? Baby Wipe 1 Baby Wipe 2 Cancer (µg/m3) 17 21 0.310 * Dish Soap * Daily use product, even multiple times a day * Also contained a large amount of Ethanol (happy dishwashers) * Take into consideration Dish Soap Cancer (µg/ m3 ) Benzene 19 0.310 Ethylbenzene 25 0.970 Naphthalene 31 0.072 Hexachlorobutadiene 29 0.110 7 0.081 2,100 0.490 Compound for homes, office 1,3-Butadiene break rooms, as well as 1,4-Dioxane restaurant kitchens * Hand Cleanser/Scrub Pumice Hand Cleanser * Used by many contractors (environmental, construction, automotive, etc) * Refrain from using prior to and during sampling Compound Benzene Pumice Cleanser Cancer (µg/m3) Noncancer (µg/m3) 27 0.310 31.00 (C5-C8) Aliphatics 16,000 13.000 630.00 (C9-C12) Aliphatics 34,000 0.540 100.00 * Shoe Closet Casual Shoes C5-C8 Aliphatics Sport Shoes C5-C12 Aliphatics C6-C8 Aromatics Ethylbenzene, Xylenes Compound Polish/Waterproofing C5-C12 Aliphatics Trichloroethene 1,3 Butadiene Shoe Polish/ Cancer (µg/ Noncancer Waterproofing m3 ) (µg/m3) Trichloroethene 55 0.430 2.10 1,3-Butadiene 25 0.081 2.10 TCE Short Term Exposure – 2 ug/m3 for only 24 hours during first trimester * Caulking & Sealants Not any major health concerns, but… * Large amounts of background contamination that one may attribute to lab contamination (i.e. TBA, 2,2,4-TMP, etc). * Although Siloxanes are not target compounds, they interfere with the Internal Standards on a TO-15 analysis. Cancer Noncancer (µg/m3) (µg/m3) Compound Caulk 1 Caulk 2 2,2,4Trimethylpentane 130,000 - n/a n/a Isopropyl Alcohol 69,000 - n/a 7,300.00 Toluene 27,000 - n/a 5,200.00 - 31,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a TBA TPH gas (C5-C11) Siloxanes* 2,800,000 not tested loaded not tested * Natural Gas Compound Benzene NG CC NG NN NG SB NG HT NG EW Cancer (µg/m3) Noncancer (µg/m3) 470 2,200 270 49,000 20 0.310 31.00 Cyclohexane 1,300 1,700 750 42,000 48 n/a 6,300.00 Ethylbenzene 35 160 - 3,500 10 0.970 1,000.00 m,p-Xylene 180 870 36 16,000 40 n/a 100.00 n-Heptane 1,000 5,000 460 51,000 29 n/a n/a n-Hexane 3,100 7,600 1,700 76,000 160 n/a 730.00 o-Xylene 56 180 - 3,600 12 n/a 100.00 - - - n/a 3,100.00 Propene 21,000 56,000 Toluene 380 2,600 150 50,000 58 n/a 5,200.00 Methane & TPH yes yes yes yes yes - - * Air Fresheners Various Forms/Tests * Scented oil plug (flux chamber) * Scented solid (flux chamber) * Scented Spray (directly into VOA) * Scented Spray (in a bathroom, door closed and air sampled minutes later) Heated Oil Toluene TPH C5-11 (230,000) Scented Solid Ethylbenzene (3,400) TPH C5-11 (390,000) Spray in VOA Ethanol (3,000,000+) Ethyl Acetate TPH C5-11 (290,000) Spray in Room* Low levels of Benzene & Carbon Tetrachloride (TPH not tested) * Candles Melted and Unmelted Wax tested * Organic Beeswax (unscented) * One test with melted wax poured into a VOA. * Another test with solid wax placed in VOA. Candle Burn Candle Cancer (µg/m3) Noncancer (µg/ m3 ) Benzene 7,100 6 0.310 31.00 1,3-Butadiene 2,000 - 0.081 2.10 Ethylbenzene 90 - 0.970 1,000.00 Naphthalene 24 0.072 3.10 Compound - * Silly String Benzene 23,000 ug/m3! C5-C8 Alipha ti 7,000 c ,0 0 ug/m 0 3! * Squeeze Toy Compound Ethylbenzene Toy Cancer (µg/ Noncancer m3 ) (µg/m3) 1,000 0.970 1,000.00 Xylenes 940 n/a 100.00 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane 52 n/a n/a (C5-C8) Aliphatics 7,100 13.000 630.00 (C6-C8) Aromatics 1,900 0.310 31.00 (C9-C12) Aliphatics 720 0.540 100.00 Benzene non-detect <16 µg/m3 * Modeling Clay Compound Cancer Noncancer (µg/m3) Clay 1 Clay 2 (µg/m3) Tetrachloroethene 430 18 9.400 42.00 Benzene 14 - 0.310 31.00 Ethylbenzene 25 76 0.970 1,000.00 Toluene 13,000 100 n/a 5,200.00 Xylenes 101 330 n/a 100.00 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 150 780 n/a 7.30 Two Types of Clay * Tests performed because of confusion as to where PCE hits were coming from at a gas station? * Lab contamination? * Helium (Party Tank) We tested two kinds of “party” helium with <1% impurities. Compound Helium 1 Helium 2 Cancer (µg/m3) Noncancer (µg/m3) Benzene 7 2 0.310 31.00 Ethylbenzene 8 7 0.970 1,000.00 Naphthalene 1 n/a 0.072 3.10 n/a 600 n/a n/a TPH gas (C5-C11) * Cola Soda Pop Cancer (µg/m3) Noncancer (µg/m3) (C5-C8) Aliphatics 260 13.000 630.00 (C9-C10) Aromatics 1,000 n/a 3.10 (C9-C12) Aliphatics 16,000 0.540 100.00 Compound Interesting Fact: It is a well studied fact that Benzene is in soda pop (combination of a benzoate preservative and citric acid, especially in warm/light conditions) * Conclusion? Birthdays will kill you. Helium Balloons Soda Pop Candles Birthdays Modeling Clay +7,027,580 Total TPH +25 Naphthalene +2,000 1,3-Butidiene Benzene 32,283 ug/m3 Ethylbenzene 2,206 ug/m3 TCE 448 ug/m3 Squeeze Toy Bloonies Silly String * Occupants: Do’s and Don’ts… …for A MONTH?! LONG TERM SAMPLING: The push toward 21 Day Air Sampling brings in a whole new set of considerations 21 Day DO Examples • You can have ONE birthday party 21 Day DON’TS: For 21 Days, no daily use products? • Don’t wash your hair • Only do dishes once/week • Absolutely no shaving • How do you list everything? • People’s daily lives include chemicals of concern that can make it difficult to interpret data Question # 3 Is Collecting Indoor Air (IA) Samples a Good Alternative to Collection Sub-slab, Near-slab or At Depth Vapor Samples? q The current method of doing a “chemical inventory” and then removing items from a business or residence during the 8-hr or 24-hr indoor air sampling event will not work if a longer sampling time is required (7 to 21 day). As you can see from the previous slides. I am not sure the methodologies currently work for the short term sampling. q If you are going to be required to collect an indoor air sample, try and collect a subslab or at-depth vapor sample as well. This way you have a “fighting chance” of being able to discount any compounds found in indoor air that are not found in the sub-slab or at-depth vapor sample. Vapor Intrusion: The Top Three Most Often Asked Questions? Conclusions: 1) If the Phase I Report Indicates That There is a Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition (VIC) or a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC), Where and How Do I Collect High Quality Vapor Intrusion Data? – know your potential sources and sample accordingly. 2) Does Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) Pose the Same Risk as Vapor Intrusion From Chlorinated Solvents Sites? – If you can’t use the exclusion criteria to prove the vapor intrusion pathway is incomplete, you and your client are going to have a lot more work to do. 3) Is Collecting Indoor Air (IA) Samples a Good Alternative to Collection Sub-slab, Near-slab or At Depth Vapor Samples? No….. Simple enough Questions or Comments? Jim Fineis P.G. Atlas Geo-Sampling Company jimfineis@atlas-geo.com www.atlas-geo.com 770-883-3372 I would like to thank the AIPG Georgia Section, Ron Wallace, Eric Lowe and Dr. “Yo” Sumortojo for the opportunity to present and be an exhibitor.