Wet-Vacuum-Based Surface Sampling Method for Chemical Agents
Citation:
Oudejans, L., B. Wyrzykowska-Ceradini, A. Touati, E. Morris, AND A. Korff. Wet-Vacuum-Based Surface Sampling Method for Chemical Agents. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/313, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
A large-area accidental or intentional chemical release would require extensive environmental sampling for hazard characterization and post-decontamination clearance sampling to assess if surface cleanup goals were met. Such effort necessitates collection of large numbers of samples using methods that provide reliable analytical results. Traditional wipes sampling methods are time- and labor-intensive and sample a relatively small area. Here, a wet-vacuum cleaning technology is considered as a novel sampling method for the medium to large area sampling of various toxic industrial chemicals from contaminated building material surfaces. The wet-vacuum sampling method provides a significant reduction in the time and associated cost of sampling for selected chemical agents. Outcomes of the systematic testing of this surface sampling method provide field responders with additional tools to characterize large-area contamination following an accidental chemical release or terror incident.
Description:
This report is on the development of a wet-vacuum method to sample medium to large areas for chemicals. The purpose of this project was to provide responding agencies with information on the effectiveness of a wet-vacuum sampling approach for the collection of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and CWA surrogates deposited on building materials with different porosities. This research is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) efforts to develop time- and cost-effective high-capacity sampling approaches to be used in large areas contaminated with chemical agents. This new methodology uses commercial, off-the-shelf cleaning equipment (handheld wet–dry vacuum units) for composite sample collection and composite sample analysis with various wetting solutions and solvents that are pertinent to field sampling in response to an accidental chemical release or chemical terror incident.