Recommendations for the Investigation of Vapor Intrusion
Abstract
Since 2000, regulators and the regulated community have become increasingly concerned about the potential for exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through vapor intrusion to indoor air at sites with contaminated soil or groundwater. Detailed investigations at a limited number of corrective action sites have documented elevated levels of chlorinated VOCs in houses located above contaminated groundwater (DiGiulio et al., 2006; Tillman and Weaver, 2005). In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many state regulatory agencies have issued guidance specifying screening and field investigation procedures for the identification of vapor intrusion impacts at corrective action sites. Although the specific recommended investigation procedures vary significantly between guidance documents, the majority of these documents utilize a step-wise evaluation process that includes preliminary screening followed by field investigation, if needed. Of the available regulatory guidance on vapor intrusion, the EPA guidance (U.S. EPA, 2002) is currently most widely applied. This guidance document has been formally adopted by some states (e.g., Ohio) and is also widely used in states that have not issued their own guidance documents. Currently available vapor intrusion regulatory guidance leaves the investigator with a number of potential questions concerning implementation of a field investigation. Key questions include: Collection of Groundwater and Soil Gas Samples: How should groundwater and soil gas samples be collected to generate data suitable for pathway screening? Identification of Indoor Air Impacts: What field investigation program will provide a cost-effective and timely evaluation of the presence or absence of vapor intrusion impacts?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA495529
Entities
People
- Thomas McHugh
Organizations
- GSI Environmental (United States)