Indoor Air as a Source of VOC Contamination in Shallow Soils Below Buildings

TRRP Training: 2022 Program

presented by: GSI Environmetal Inc.

Texas Risk Reduction Program regulations (TRRP; 30 TAC 350) establish consistent risk-based protocols for assessment and response to soil, groundwater, or surface water impacts associated with environmental releases of regulated wastes or substances.

Presented by GSI Environmental Inc., this popular and informative training series is a must for professionals who need a working understanding of TRRP and those needing to stay up-to-date with the latest TCEQ TRRP guidance and policies.

TRRP Training Course (2 Days): Provides an overview of the TRRP framework and step-by-step training on property assessment and response action procedures established under the TRRP rule

Attendees will become acquainted with rules, key guidance and policies covering affected property assessments, protective concentration levels, and response actions. The course material presents strategies for efficient project management in compliance with TRRP and explains the various report forms adopted by TCEQ.

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Dates and Location

Dates

June 14th and 15th, 2022

Location

Crowne Plaza River Oaks 2712 SW Freeway Houston, Texas 77098 713.523.8448 http://www.crowneplaza.com/

Price and Registration

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(Paid by May 1, 2022)
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Authors: Thomas McHugh, Phillip deBlanc, Roger J. Pokluda

Published: January 2007 in Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal volume 15 (1) pages 103-122.

Abstract

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US EPA and many state regulatory agency guidance documents recommend below-foundation vapor sampling as a key element of site investigations to determine if vapor migration from underlying soil into buildings is a completed exposure pathway (USEPA, 2002; WIDHFS, 2003; San Diego County, 2004; PADEP, 2004). If volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are detected below the building foundation, then VOC migration from the subsurface is assumed to be occurring, and further investigation is needed to determine the extent of the VOC impact. These guidance documents are predicated on the assumption that VOCs detected in below-foundation samples have originated from deeper within the subsurface. However, detection of VOCs in below-foundation vapor samples alone is not sufficient to conclude that the VOCs are migrating from the subsurface upward towards a building. VOCs detected in below-foundation vapor samples can originate from indoor sources, migrating down through the slab by diffusion or advection. Commonly referenced conceptual models for vapor intrusion address VOC migration from the subsurface into buildings but do not consider the potential for VOC migration from buildings into the subsurface (USEPA, 2002; Johnson and Ettinger, 1991; Parker, 2003). The advective and diffusive forces that lead to the migration of VOCs from the subsurface into buildings are equally likely to result in the migration of VOCs from buildings into the subsurface when pressure or concentration gradients support such migration. In this paper we present: i) pressure gradient measurements indicating bi-directional advective flow across building foundations, ii) simple modeling indicating that indoor sources of VOCs may cause subsurface impacts through advection across the building foundation, and iii) field data from a site where indoor sources rather than subsurface contamination were the source of VOCs detected in below-foundation vapor samples.