Influence of soil gas entry, outdoor and indoor sources on indoor VOCs at petroleum contaminated settings

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:351046

Kindzierski, W B ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The entry of soil gas containing VOCs into buildings is often considered when evaluating the health risk of indoor air exposure at petroleum contaminated settings. Methods are available in the literature to estimate indoor levels and exposure to VOCs from this pathway. The influence of exposure resulting from infiltration and penetration of outdoor sources and net formation and decay from indoor sources is not considered in these models. These sources are of interest because it is established that indoor air levels are higher than outdoor levels for many VOCs and indoor air is an important determinant for environmental exposure to VOCs in the general population. This paper presents an analysis of a method that attempts to put into perspective the contribution that soil gas entry could have on indoor air and exposure for benzene relative to outdoor and indoor sources at petroleum contaminated settings. Routine measurements of the influence that soil gas entry may have on VOCs in indoor air is limited at residences. This is because of difficulty in interpreting the measurements as one would normally expect to find VOCs in indoor air. Modeling tends to be a method of choice for many environmental professionals trying to assess the influence of this pathway. Four model combinations were considered for assessing benzene transport through subsurface soil and entry into buildings along with soil gas. It was found that the choice of the model for assessing the movement of VOCs through the subsurface and concrete basement can affect whether this pathway plays an important role on resulting indoor air quality and the extent of exposure relative to that already established from outdoor and indoor sources.

• OSTI ID: 351046
• Report Number(s): CONF-970677--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
BENZENE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION SOURCES
SOILS