[CPEO-BIF] "Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion Using Controlled Building Pressure"

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

[I am often asked how one can distinguish indoor air contamination  
caused by indoor sources from vapor intrusion (subsurface sources).  
This appears to be an effective, easy to understand method. - LS]

Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion Using Controlled Building Pressure

Thomas Erik McHugh, Lila M Beckley, Danielle M Bailey, Kyle Gorder,  
Erik M Dettenmaier, Ignacio Rivera-Duarte, Samuel Brock, and Ian  
MacGregor
Environmental Science & Technology
April 9, 2012

Abstract

The use of measured volatile organic chemical (VOC) concentrations in  
indoor air to evaluate vapor intrusion is complicated by i) indoor  
sources of the same VOCs and ii) temporal variability in vapor  
intrusion. This study evaluated the efficacy of utilizing induced  
negative and positive building pressure conditions during a vapor  
intrusion investigation program to provide an improved understanding  
of the potential for vapor intrusion. Pressure control was achieved  
in five of six buildings where the investigation program was tested.  
For these five buildings, the induced pressure differences were  
sufficient to control the flow of soil gas through the building  
foundation. A comparison of VOC concentrations in indoor air measured  
during the negative and positive pressure test conditions was  
sufficient to determine whether vapor intrusion was the primary  
source of VOCs in indoor air at these buildings. The study results  
indicate that sampling under controlled building pressure can help  
minimize ambiguity caused by both indoor sources of VOCs and temporal  
variability in vapor intrusion.


...

For the original abstract and a link to the entire article (requiring  
registration), see
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es204483g

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650-961-8918 or 650-969-1545
Fax: 650-961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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