Evaluation of Volatilization Potential for Legacy Chlordane in Military Housing Area Soils
Abstract
The U.S. Air Force used the chlorinated pesticide chlordane to control termites around base housing until it was banned in 1988. As bases are closed, contracted, or realigned, soil issues associated with this pesticide must be addressed. One issue that is not well understood is chlordane volatility. There are documented cases where chlordane applied to soil resulted in vapor intrusion into buildings; however, all these cases involved freshly applied pesticides. The effect of aging and weather for at least 20 years would likely change the potential for volatilization of soil-applied chlordane. This report covers three studies to assess volatility of aged chlordane in soil. The first was a laboratory study in a forced air system. Parameters such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), and various soil types were studied. Soils studied included chlordane-contaminated soils from McGuire Air Force Base (AFB), Davis-Monthan AFB, and a reference soil from the Vicksburg, MS, area called WES soil. Temperature variation studies (range from 10 to 50 deg C) using soils from McGuire AFB at 50% RH found a measurable chlordane flux only at 50 deg C. RH variation studies using McGuire AFB soil at 20 deg C found a measurable flux only at the 90% RH level. Tests of the various soils at 20 deg C and 50% RH indicated that of these, only the Davis-Monthan soil had a measurable chlordane flux. The second study was conducted in the field at Fort Dix Army Base to evaluate the effect of soil disturbance. This included simple vegetative removal, disturbance of the soil by tilling, and coring into the soil. Chlordane was found in all the sample locations and depths, with higher concentrations in deeper core samples. However, volatile chlordane was only detected in the borehole sample immediately after the hole was created.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA552496
Entities
People
- Catherine C. Nestler
- Michael A. Jones
- Scott Waisner
- Victor Frank Medina
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center