Use of Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Distinguish between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOC

Abstract

Indoor sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are ubiquitous, resulting in detectable concentrations in indoor air, often at levels exceeding regulatory screening criteria. At corrective actions sites with potential vapor intrusion concerns, the presence of indoor VOC sources significantly complicates the exposure pathway evaluation. Because of these indoor sources, the detection of a site-related VOC in a potentially affected building does not necessarily indicate a vapor intrusion impact. However, because conventional investigation methods often do not clearly identify the source of VOC, additional rounds of sampling are commonly required. The overall goal of this demonstration was to validate use of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) to distinguish between vapor intrusion and indoor sources of VOC. As part of this project, a step-by-step protocol has been developed, which can be used to provide an independent line of evidence to determine whether or not buildings are impacted by vapor intrusion.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA609984

Entities

Organizations

  • Environmental Security Technology Certification Program

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Force
  • Air National Guard
  • Department Of Defense
  • Ecology
  • Environment
  • Environmental Protection
  • Environmental Restoration And Remediation
  • Groundwater
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Isotopes
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Measurement
  • Organic Compounds
  • Spectrometry
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Volatile Organic Compounds

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Environmental Remediation and Restoration.
  • Systems Analysis and Design