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INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT "FIELD MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN SOIL" CHEMETRICS, INC., AND AZUR ENVIRONMENTAL LTD REMEDIAID TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON STARTER KIT
Citation:
Billets, S N., K. Topudurti, AND T. Denhof. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT "FIELD MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN SOIL" CHEMETRICS, INC., AND AZUR ENVIRONMENTAL LTD REMEDIAID TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON STARTER KIT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-01/082 (NTIS PB2002-101357), 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this program is to promote the acceptance and use of innovative field technologies by providing well-documented performance and cost data obtained from field demonstrations.
Description:
The RemediAidTm Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Starter Kit (RemediAidTm kit) developed by CHEMetries, Inc. (CHEMetrics), and AZUR Environmental Ltd was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program in June 2000 at the Navy Base Ventura County site in Port Hueneme, California. The purpose of the demonstration was to collect reliable performance and cost data for the RemediAid Tm kit and six other field measurement devices for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil. In addition to assessing ease of device operation, the key objectives of the demonstration included determining the (1) method detection limit, (2) accuracy and precision, (3) effects of interferents and soil moisture content on TPH measurement, (4) sample throughput, and (5) TPH measurement costs for each device. The demonstration involved analysis of both performance evaluation samples and environmental samples collected in five areas contaminated with gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, or other petroleum products. The performance and cost results for a given field measurement device were compared to those for an off-site laboratory reference method, "Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste" (SW-846) Method 801 SB (modified). During the demonstration, CHEMetries required 46 hours, 10 minutes, for TPH measurement of 199 samples and 10 extract duplicates. The TPH measurement costs for these samples were estimated to be $8,5 1 0 for the RemediAidTm kit and $42,170 for the reference method. The method detection limits were determined to be 60 and 4.79 milligrams per kilogram for the RemediAidTm kit and reference method, respectively. During the demonstration, the RemediAidTm kit exhibited good accuracy and precision, ease of use, and lack of sensitivity to interferents that are not petroleum hydrocarbons (neat materials, including tetrachloroethene and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene). However, the device showed less than 5 percent response to neat materials, including methyl-tert-butyl ether and Stoddard solvent, that are petroleum hydrocarbons. Turpentine and humic acid, which are not petroleum hydrocarbons, caused a significant measurement bias for the device. In addition, the device exhibited minor sensitivity to soil moisture content during TPH measurement of weathered gasoline soil samples. Despite some of the limitations observed during the demonstration, the demonstration findings collectively indicated that the RemediAidTm kit is a reliable field measurement device for TPH in soil.