Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex
Abstract
We report the role of sewer lines as preferential pathways for vapor intrusion is poorly understood. Although the importance of sewer lines for volatile organic compound (VOC) transport has been documented at a small number of sites with vapor intrusion, sewer lines are not routinely sampled during most vapor intrusion investigations. We have used a tracer study and VOC concentration measurements to evaluate the role of the combined sanitary/storm sewer line in VOC transport at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex in Indianapolis, Indiana. The results from the tracer study demonstrated gas migration from the sewer main line into the duplex. The migration pathway appears to be complex and may include leakage from the sewer lateral at a location below the building foundation. Vapor samples collected from the sewer line demonstrated the presence of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and chloroform in the sewer main in front of the duplex and at multiple sample locations within the sewer line upstream of the duplex. Finally, these test results combined with results from the prior multi-year study of the duplex indicate that the sewer line plays an important role in transport of VOCs from the subsurface source to the immediate vicinity of the duplex buildingmore »
- Authors:
-
[7];
- GSI Environmental Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
- GSI Environmental Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- CH2MHill, Inc., Raleigh, NC (United States)
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
- Arcadis, Indianapolis, IN (United States)
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1358019
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-113837-2017-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0048-9697; R&D Project: 84070; 456160031
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Science of the Total Environment
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 598; Journal ID: ISSN 0048-9697
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Preferential pathway; Indianapolis; Utility tunnel
Citation Formats
McHugh, Thomas, Beckley, Lila, Sullivan, Terry, Lutes, Chris, Truesdale, Robert, Uppencamp, Rob, Cosky, Brian, Zimmerman, John, and Schumacher, Brian. Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.135.
McHugh, Thomas, Beckley, Lila, Sullivan, Terry, Lutes, Chris, Truesdale, Robert, Uppencamp, Rob, Cosky, Brian, Zimmerman, John, & Schumacher, Brian. Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.135
McHugh, Thomas, Beckley, Lila, Sullivan, Terry, Lutes, Chris, Truesdale, Robert, Uppencamp, Rob, Cosky, Brian, Zimmerman, John, and Schumacher, Brian. Wed .
"Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.135. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1358019.
@article{osti_1358019,
title = {Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex},
author = {McHugh, Thomas and Beckley, Lila and Sullivan, Terry and Lutes, Chris and Truesdale, Robert and Uppencamp, Rob and Cosky, Brian and Zimmerman, John and Schumacher, Brian},
abstractNote = {We report the role of sewer lines as preferential pathways for vapor intrusion is poorly understood. Although the importance of sewer lines for volatile organic compound (VOC) transport has been documented at a small number of sites with vapor intrusion, sewer lines are not routinely sampled during most vapor intrusion investigations. We have used a tracer study and VOC concentration measurements to evaluate the role of the combined sanitary/storm sewer line in VOC transport at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex in Indianapolis, Indiana. The results from the tracer study demonstrated gas migration from the sewer main line into the duplex. The migration pathway appears to be complex and may include leakage from the sewer lateral at a location below the building foundation. Vapor samples collected from the sewer line demonstrated the presence of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and chloroform in the sewer main in front of the duplex and at multiple sample locations within the sewer line upstream of the duplex. Finally, these test results combined with results from the prior multi-year study of the duplex indicate that the sewer line plays an important role in transport of VOCs from the subsurface source to the immediate vicinity of the duplex building envelope.},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.135},
journal = {Science of the Total Environment},
number = ,
volume = 598,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Wed Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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