Experiments and modeling of the soil-gas transport of volatile organic compounds into a residential basement: Revision

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6450953

Garbesi, K

It is assumed that the major pathway for migration of contaminants from landfills was through contamination and movement of groundwater. The migration of methane gas from landfills into nearby residences has indicated the importance of gas-phase transport. Research on the entry of radon gas into houses indicates that the pressure-driven entry of soil gas can result in high indoor concentrations of soil-gas contaminants. This paper presents theoretical and laboratory studies of the advective flow of volatile organics compounds (VOC) through soil, and a field investigation of the pressure-driven entry of VOC into a house adjacent to a municipal landfill. The principals of fluid mechanics are used to derive an analytical model of the pressure-driven flow of VOC in soil. The calculation results in the definition of a retardation factor of VOC with respect to the velocity of the bulk soil gas. The retardation equation is then tested in soil-column experiments using sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) and hexafluorobenzene (HFB). These experiments are used to evaluate the potential of SF/sub 6/ and HFB as tracer gases for use in a field investigation of the advective flow of soil gas into and near the basement of a house near a landfill and to evaluate the potential of the soil-column apparatus for use in screening the advective mobility of VOC important as landfill gas contaminants. The field study consisted of experiments investigating the influence of basement depressurization on the surrounding soil gas, and quantifying VOC contamination at the site. Soil-gas entry into the house during artificial basement depressurization was measured using SF/sub 6/ as a tracer, and pressure coupling was measured between the basement and the surrounding soil. Measurements of VOC in ambient air, indoor air, and soil gas indicate that a number of halogenated and oxygenated contaminants present in indoor air had a soil-gas source. 39 refs., 24 figs., 9 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6450953
• Report Number(s): LBL-25519-Rev.; ON: DE89006833
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320107* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Systems-- (1987-)
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALKANES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDINGS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVALUATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FIELD TESTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATTER
METHANE
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SOILS
TESTING
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VOLATILE MATTER
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES