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Title: Evidence of a sewer vapor transport pathway at the USEPA vapor intrusion research duplex

Journal Article · · Science of the Total Environment
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [6]; ORCiD logo [7];  [7]
  1. GSI Environmental Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
  2. GSI Environmental Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
  3. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  4. CH2MHill, Inc., Raleigh, NC (United States)
  5. RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
  6. Arcadis, Indianapolis, IN (United States)
  7. US Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

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.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC00112704
OSTI ID:
1358019
Report Number(s):
BNL-113837-2017-JA; R&D Project: 84070; 456160031
Journal Information:
Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 598; ISSN 0048-9697
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 16 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (9)

Portable GC/MS Methods to Evaluate Sources of cVOC Contamination in Indoor Air journal August 2011
Identification of Alternative Vapor Intrusion Pathways Using Controlled Pressure Testing, Soil Gas Monitoring, and Screening Model Calculations journal November 2015
Temporal Variability of Indoor Air Concentrations under Natural Conditions in a House Overlying a Dilute Chlorinated Solvent Groundwater Plume journal November 2013
Comparing Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System Performance for VOCs and Radon journal September 2015
Application of CSIA to Distinguish Between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOCs journal June 2011
Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion Using Controlled Building Pressure journal April 2012
Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds from the Use of Chlorine-Bleach-Containing Household Products journal March 2008
Sewer Gas: An Indoor Air Source of PCE to Consider During Vapor Intrusion Investigations journal June 2013
The Atmospheric Background of Perfluorocarbon Compounds Used as Tracers journal September 2007

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