Description:
The EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response's (OSWER) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) needs innovative methods and techniques to solve new and difficult sampling and analytical problems found at the numerous Superfund sites throughout the United States. Inadequate site characterization and a lack of knowledge of surface and subsurface contaminant distributions hinders EPA's ability to make the best decisions on remediation options and to conduct the most effective cleanup efforts. To assist OSWER, NERL conducts research to improve their capability to more accurately, precisely, and efficiently characterize Superfund, RCRA, LUST, oil spills, and brownfield sites and to improve their risk-based decision making capabilities, research is being conducted on improving soil and sediment sampling techniques and improving the sampling and handling of volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminated soils, among the many research programs and tasks being performed at ESD-LV.
Under this task, improved sampling approaches and devices will be developed for characterizing the concentration of VOCs in soils. Current approaches and devices used today can lose up to 99% of the VOCs present in the sample due inherent weaknesses in the device and improper/inadequate collection techniques. This error generally causes decision makers to markedly underestimate the soil VOC concentrations and, therefore, to greatly underestimate the ecological and human health risks associated with these compounds. To improve the sampling of VOC-contaminated soils, research will be conducted in 4 major areas where VOCs can be lost, namely, during sample collection, handling, storage, and preservation with the goal of eliminating or greatly reducing the VOC losses.
Research has been initiated to meet the Agency's (and OSWER's) initiative addressing the fundamental issues concerning contaminated sediments of adequately estimating risks, developing and evaluating risk management options, and monitoring sites before, during, and after remedy implementation. Research to improve the collection of undisturbed surface sediments so that the effects of recent disturbances (such as dredging activities) can be identified and quantified is underway. A prototype undisturbed sediment sampler has been created and is undergoing field testing at contaminated sediment sites.
A new area of research currently being initiated is related to asbestos determination and separation from soils. ORD's Asbestos Research Plan identified areas where EPA's knowledge and understanding of asbestos could be improved. Within the plan, one area of needed research was in fiber definition and source characterization. An asbestos workgroup was formed to prioritize the exposure research support for the Asbestos Research Plan. Among the high priority research areas were the needs for: (1) standard soil sampling and sample preparation methods and (2) a standard bulk sample (e.g., soil, asbestos containing materials, etc.) grinding technique. The objective of this research effort is to evaluate (and develop, if necessary) a method for the effective and efficient separation of asbestos fibers from soils while maintaining the integrity of the asbestos fibers (i.e., without fiber length reduction) so that the true characteristics and quantity of asbestos in the soils can be determined.
Keywords:
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, VOCS, METALS, SOILS, SEDIMENTS, SAMPLING TECHNOLOGY,
Project Information:
Progress
:A prototype undisturbed surface sediment (USS) sampler has been created and tested in the laboratory and at one field site. In conjunction with the USS sampler testing, each sampling event was filmed to provide visual evidence of the amount of surface distrubance that occurred when the USS sampler and the Ponar sampler (a very commonly used sediment sampling device) came into contact with the sediments. Slight modifications to the design had to be made after each testing to accomodate the differences in sediment types encountered in each situation. A contaminated site has been identified for testing of the 2nd version of the USS sampler. Sampling should begin in the late Spring of 2005. Prior to creating the USS sampler, a literature search of all possible commercially available sediment samplers was performed. This literature search has since been published as an EPA project report.
A sample preservation study has been conducted and results are currently being processed. Samples contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOC) are being preserved using standard and innovative sample preservation techniques to determine their effectiveness in maintaining VOC concentrations over a 14 day holding time. Testing on two soils has been completed.
Associated Design Manufacturing (ADM) of Alexandria, VA, was selected, after open competition, to manufacture the prototype soil sampler that will reduce the loss of VOCs from soils during sampling. An initial design has been created, tested, and modified. The second version of the sampler has undergone some preliminary physical integrity testing with successful results. The third version of the sampler (adjusted to allow for inclusion of all glass VOA vial threading structures has been created. Field testing at 2 Superfund sites has been completed. During testing at the sites, down hole slough was found to be a serious problem. The down hole slough resulted in a dilution effect on the samples collected by the innovative sampler. The use of a wide bore coring tube in which the sample could be retrieved in a core liner and then a sample collected with the innovative sampler down the core tube (i.e., no slough possible) was identified as a possible solution to the slough problem. Testing has occurred at two Superfund sites using this new method. Results are currently being processed. A final field site is being sought for further testing.
Instrumentation has been procured and initial testing has been completed for the study of effects of soil disturbance on VOC emissions from aged, contaminated soil and the examination of the micro-purge soil gas techniques. Field sampling has occurred at 2 Superfund sites. Results are currently being processed and additional sites are being sought for further testing.
Relevance
:The activity supports the ORD strategic goal #3 by defining and developing a national environmental research agenda and supports ORD's Long Term Goals and Objectives # 3 in the 1997 Update to ORD's Strategic Plan. This goal, "to provide common sense cost-effective approaches for preventing and managing risks", is covered by research conducted under this task in the specific area of developing cost-effective techniques for characterizing and remediating soils contaminated with nonaqueous-phase liquids, chlorinated and other hazardous organics and toxic metals and developing cost-effective techniques for characterizing and remediating contaminated sediments. In the Strategic Plan 2000, research conducted under this task is described under the research priority entitled, "Research to Improve Eco-System Risk Assessment/Management - Monitoring Research. To meet the needs of these goals, all research efforts addressing the issue of eliminating errors (i.e., losses) that occur during the sampling and analysis of soil samples contaminated with VOCs. Current sampling techniques for VOC-contaminated soils and sediments may result is losses of up to 99% of the VOCs. These unknown and unquantified losses result in data being given to decision makers and regulators that may only represent part of the contamination (i.e., some percentage less than the actual contaminant concentrations) present at a given site. In turn, the decision makers then decide whether remediation is necessary based on negatively biased results that can lead to leaving significant concentrations of VOCs in the soils. Each experiment under this task addresses a unique aspect of the overall sampling problem. When these studies are completed, they will provide a complete picture on the best methods and techniques to collect and analyze VOCs in the soil matrix. With the improved data which allows for the collection of more accurate and representative samples from the field, decision makers will be able to make much improved decisions based on better facts about the extent of contamination at a contaminated site.
Research conducted under this task directly supports OERR, OSW, the Regions, etc. by providing improved methods, techniques, and tools to reduce or eliminate the losses of contaminants that occur during sampling. This research program is reviewed annually during the Waste Progress Review held in Washington, DC with OERR, OSW, other interested program offices, and Regions. The current and proposed future studies support many of OERR's high priority research needs as identified by OERR staff (Sharon Frey, April 2001, OERR Research Priorities for ORD) and in the contaminated sites multi-year plan. It is through these continual reviews and communication with the client offices that ESD-LV can ensure that we are meeting their wants, needs, expectations, and requirements, now and in the future.
Sediments research, initiated in FY03, has been identified directly by OERR as a major area of concern. To respond to their needs, ORD has established contaminated sediments research focus groups to work with OERR and OW to address their research needs. The work proposed under this task falls under the Focus Group #4 entitled, "Chemical, Physical, and Biological Monitoring". This focus group is a collaboration of NERL, NHEERL, OERR, OSWER, and OW scientists working together to address the needs in the contaminated sediments area. The current and proposed future studies support many of OERR high priority research priorities as identified by OERR staff (Sharon Frey, April 2001, OERR Research Priorities for ORD). The products and approaches described in this task related to contaminated sediments have been reviewed and discussed with the staff of OERR numerous times during the ongoing contaminated sediments planning process. By maintaining this constant communication with the client, the current (and future) wants, needs, and expectations are address
Clients
:Leah Evison - OERR; Dana Tulis, OERR; Sharon Frey, OERR; Joan Fisk, OERR; Barry Lesnik, OSW; Jan Young, OSW; Carl Daly, OSW; All Regions; Office of Water; David Mickunas, ERT Region 2; Ken Lovelace, OERR; David Cooper, OERR; Henry Schuver, OSW
Project IDs:
ID Code
:4037
Project type
:OMIS