ASTM D5314-92(2006)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Soil Gas Monitoring in the Vadose Zone (Withdrawn 2015)
Standard Guide for Soil Gas Monitoring in the Vadose Zone (Withdrawn 2015)
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Application of Soil Gas Monitoring—Soil gas monitoring is an extremely versatile method in that it can be adapted to conform to the requirements of dissimilar industries for a wide variety of applications. A number of soil gas techniques have been utilized in the agricultural (21), petroleum (22, 23) and minerals (24) industries. Certain applications have been exercised for well over 50 years. Soil gas monitoring has been utilized in research efforts, including the monitoring of underground coal gasification retorts (25). Application to the environmental industry is comparably recent but very effective as a rapid and relatively inexpensive method of detecting volatile contaminants in the vadose zone. Field screening, of which soil gas monitoring is a basic component, has been demonstrated to be effective for selection of suitable and representative samples for other more costly and definitive monitoring methods (26). Soil gas monitoring is useful to assess the extent of groundwater contamination for certain contaminants and field environments (27). Soil gas monitoring is also a viable method of monitoring subsurface contaminant discharges from underground storage tanks (28). New applications of the soil gas monitoring are periodically developed and published in the referenced literature. The method may be useful in the study of unsaturated flow. In most instances, the method can make use of very light-weight, portable and inexpensive tools made from commonly available materials. Soil gas monitoring has become a widely accepted method for locating subsequent environmental monitoring and remediation activities such as groundwater monitoring wells, contaminant product recovery wells or excavations to recover contaminated soil. Soil gas monitoring has made a significant contribution to groundwater monitoring and remedial planning on sites that fall under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (29). This method is highly usefu...
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers information pertaining to a broad spectrum of practices and applications of soil atmosphere sampling, including sample recovery and handling, sample analysis, data interpretation, and data reporting. This guide can increase the awareness of soil gas monitoring practitioners concerning important aspects of the behavior of the soil-water-gas-contaminant system in which this monitoring is performed, as well as inform them of the variety of available techniques of each aspect of the practice. Appropriate applications of soil gas monitoring are identified, as are the purposes of the various applications. Emphasis is placed on soil gas contaminant determinations in certain application examples.
1.2 This guide suggests a variety of approaches useful to successfully monitor vadose zone contaminants with instructions that offer direction to those who generate and use soil gas data.
1.3 This guide does not recommend a standard practice to follow in all cases nor does it recommend definite courses of action. The success of any one soil gas monitoring methodology is strongly dependent upon the environment in which it is applied.
1.4 Concerns of practitioner liability or protection from or release from such liability, or both, are not addressed by this guide.
1.5 This guide is organized into the following sections and subsections that address specific segments of the practice of monitoring soil gas:
Section 4Summary of Practice 4.1Basic principles, including partitioning theory, migration and emplacement processes, and contaminant degradation 4.7Summary Procedure 5Significance and Use 6Approach and Procedure 6.1Sampling Methodology 6.5Sample Handling and Transport 6.6Analysis of Soil Gas Samples 6.7Data Interpretation 7Reporting
1.6 This guide does not purport to set standard levels of acceptable risk. Use of this guide for purposes of risk assessment is wholly the responsibility of the use...
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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: D5314 − 92(Reapproved 2006)
Standard Guide for
Soil Gas Monitoring in the Vadose Zone
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5314; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
6.7 Data Interpretation
7 Reporting
1.1 This guide covers information pertaining to a broad
1.6 This guide does not purport to set standard levels of
spectrum of practices and applications of soil atmosphere
acceptable risk. Use of this guide for purposes of risk assess-
sampling, including sample recovery and handling, sample
ment is wholly the responsibility of the user.
analysis,datainterpretation,anddatareporting.Thisguidecan
increase the awareness of soil gas monitoring practitioners
1.7 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
concerningimportantaspectsofthebehaviorofthesoil-water-
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
gas-contaminantsysteminwhichthismonitoringisperformed,
standard.
aswellasinformthemofthevarietyofavailabletechniquesof
1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the
eachaspectofthepractice.Appropriateapplicationsofsoilgas
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
monitoring are identified, as are the purposes of the various
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
applications. Emphasis is placed on soil gas contaminant
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
determinations in certain application examples.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.2 This guide suggests a variety of approaches useful to
1.9 This guide offers an organized collection of information
successfully monitor vadose zone contaminants with instruc-
or a series of options and does not recommend a specific
tionsthatofferdirectiontothosewhogenerateandusesoilgas
course of action. This document cannot replace education or
data.
experienceandshouldbeusedinconjunctionwithprofessional
1.3 This guide does not recommend a standard practice to
judgment.Notallaspectsofthisguidemaybeapplicableinall
follow in all cases nor does it recommend definite courses of circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to repre-
action. The success of any one soil gas monitoring methodol-
sent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of
ogy is strongly dependent upon the environment in which it is a given professional service must be judged, nor should this
applied. documentbeappliedwithoutconsiderationofaproject’smany
unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this
1.4 Concerns of practitioner liability or protection from or
document means only that the document has been approved
release from such liability, or both, are not addressed by this
through the ASTM consensus process.
guide.
1.5 This guide is organized into the following sections and
2. Referenced Documents
subsections that address specific segments of the practice of
2.1 ASTM Standards:
monitoring soil gas:
D653Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
Section
Fluids
4 Summary of Practice
4.1 Basic principles, including partitioning theory, migration and
D1356Terminology Relating to Sampling and Analysis of
emplacement processes, and contaminant degradation
Atmospheres
4.7 Summary Procedure
D1357Practice for Planning the Sampling of the Ambient
5 Significance and Use
6 Approach and Procedure
Atmosphere
6.1 Sampling Methodology
D1452PracticeforSoilExplorationandSamplingbyAuger
6.5 Sample Handling and Transport
6.6 Analysis of Soil Gas Samples Borings
D1605Practices for Sampling Atmospheres for Analysis of
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and
Rockand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Groundwater and
Vadose Zone Investigations. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
CurrenteditionapprovedJuly1,2006.PublishedJuly2006.Originallyapproved contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
in 1992. Last previous edition approved in 2001 as D5314–92 (2001). DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/D5314-92R06. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D5314 − 92 (2006)
Gases and Vapors (Withdrawn 1992) 3.1.3 emplacement—the establishment of contaminant resi-
D1914PracticeforConversionUnitsandFactorsRelatingto dence in the vadose zone in a particular phase.
Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheres
3.1.4 free product—liquid phase contaminants released into
D2652Terminology Relating to Activated Carbon
the environment.
D2820Test Method for C Through C Hydrocarbons in the
3.1.5 free vapor phase—a condition of contaminant resi-
Atmosphere by Gas Chromatography (Withdrawn 1993)
dence in which volatilized contaminants occur in porosity that
D3249Practice for General Ambient Air Analyzer Proce-
is effective to free and open gaseous flow and exchange, such
dures
porosity generally being macroporosity.
D3416Test Method for Total Hydrocarbons, Methane, and
3.1.6 liquid phase—contaminant residing as a liquid in
CarbonMonoxide(GasChromatographicMethod)(With-
vadose zone pore space, often referred to as “free product.”
drawn 1992)
D3584PracticeforIndexingPapersandReportsonSoiland 3.1.7 macroporosity—largeintergranularporositywithlarge
Rock for Engineering Purposes (Withdrawn 1996)
pore throats, including soil cracks, moldic porosity, animal
D3614Guide for Laboratories Engaged in Sampling and burrows and other significant void space.
Analysis of Atmospheres and Emissions
3.1.8 microporosity—intragranular porosity and micro-
D3670Guide for Determination of Precision and Bias of
scopicintergranularporositywithsubmicroscopicporethroats.
Methods of Committee D22
3.1.9 occludedvaporphase—conditionofcontaminantresi-
D3686Practice for Sampling Atmospheres to Collect Or-
dence in which volatilized contaminants occur in porosity that
ganic Compound Vapors (Activated Charcoal Tube Ad-
isineffectivetofreeandopengaseousflowandexchange,such
sorption Method)
porosity generally being microporosity; frequently termed
D3687Practice for Analysis of Organic Compound Vapors
dead-end pore space.
Collected by the Activated Charcoal Tube Adsorption
3.1.10 partitioning—the act of movement of contaminants
Method
from one soil residence phase to another.
D4220 Practices for Preserving and Transporting Soil
Samples
3.1.11 soil gas—vadose zone atmosphere.
D4490Practice for Measuring the Concentration of Toxic
3.1.12 solute phase—a condition of contaminant residence
Gases or Vapors Using Detector Tubes
in which contaminants are dissolved in groundwater in either
D4597Practice for Sampling Workplace Atmospheres to
the saturated or the vadose zone.
Collect Gases or Vapors with Solid Sorbent Diffusive
3.1.13 sorbed phase—a condition of contaminant residence
Samplers
in which contaminants are adsorbed onto the surface of soil
D4696Guide for Pore-Liquid Sampling from the Vadose
particles or absorbed by soil organic matter.
Zone
3.1.14 vadose zone—the hydrogeological region extending
D4700Guide for Soil Sampling from the Vadose Zone
from the soil surface to the top of the principal water table.
D5088Practice for Decontamination of Field Equipment
Used at Waste Sites
4. Summary of Guide
E177Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in
ASTM Test Methods
4.1 Soilgasmonitoringinthevadosezoneisamethodused
E260Practice for Packed Column Gas Chromatography to directly measure characteristics of the soil atmosphere that
E355PracticeforGasChromatographyTermsandRelation-
are frequently utilized as an indirect indicator of processes
ships occurring in and below a sampling horizon. Soil gas monitor-
E594Practice for Testing Flame Ionization Detectors Used
ing is used as a method to suggest the presence, composition,
in Gas or Supercritical Fluid Chromatography and origin of contaminants in and below the vadose zone.
E697Practice for Use of Electron-Capture Detectors in Gas
Among other applications, this method is also employed in the
Chromatography exploration for natural resources, including petroleum, natural
gas and precious metals. Soil gas monitoring is a valuable
3. Terminology screening method for detection of volatile organic
contaminants, the most abundant analytical group of ground-
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
water contaminant compounds (1).
3.1.1 capillary fringe—the basal region of the vadose zone
4.2 Basic Theoretical Principles—The processes indicated
comprising sediments that are saturated, or nearly saturated,
nearthewatertable,graduallydecreasinginwatercontentwith by the soil gas monitoring method are partitioning, migration,
emplacement and degradation. Partitioning represents a group
increasing elevation above the water table.Also see Terminol-
ogy D653. of processes that control contaminant movement from one
physicalphasetoanother,thesephasesbeingliquid,freevapor
3.1.2 contaminant—substances not normally found in an
(that is, through-flowing air (2)), occluded vapor (that is,
environment at the observed concentration.
locally accessible air and trapped air (2)), solute and sorbed.
3 4
The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to a list of references at the
www.astm.org. end of the text.
D5314 − 92 (2006)
Migration refers to contaminant movement over distance with and:
L
any vertical, horizontal or temporal component. Emplacement Γ =1, acceptable for hydrocarbons (3),
I
refers to establishment of contaminant residence in any phase
then:
within any residence opportunity. Degradation is the process
W L
X 5 X S (2)
I I I
wherebycontaminantsareattenuatedbyoxidationorreduction
in the vadose zone, either through biogenic or abiogenic 4.3.2.1 Dissolution equilibrium is impacted by the presence
processes. Soil gas monitoring measures the result of the of liquid phase cosolvents, such as gasoline additives, at low
interaction of these processes in a dynamic equilibrium. concentrations in liquid phase mixtures. This change in disso-
Measurement of these processes in static equilibrium is unre- lution equilibrium can enhance the solubility of certain liquid
phase components in water beyond what is indicated by
alistic.
partitioning coefficient data generated in the laboratory. This
4.3 The following subsections provide detailed information
can have significant impact on downstream concentrations of
onpartitioning,migration,emplacementanddegradation.Sub-
the contaminant(s) in the soil atmosphere.
section 4.4 provides a summary procedure for soil gas sam-
4.3.2.2 The effects of temperature upon dissolution equilib-
pling. Users of this guide who do not wish to study details of
rium are generally insignificant for aliphatic hydrocarbons
partitioning, migration, emplacement and degradation at this
between 15 and 50°C (4), the temperature range from which
time may skip to 4.4.
most soil gas samples are recovered. However, temperature
4.3.1 Partitioning is the initial step by which contaminants
effectsupondissolutionequilibriumcanbesignificantforother
begin to move away from their source. Partitioning occurs in
common families of contaminant compounds within similar
water saturated and unsaturated environments. This group of
temperatureranges (5).Theseeffectsmustbeconsideredwhen
processes is complex and difficult to quantify when considered
planning or interpreting the results of a soil gas survey.
in the vadose zone due to the unique makeup of the vadose
4.3.2.3 Dissolution equilibrium is altered by changes in
matrix, i.e. air-filled porosity (microporous and macroporous),
water salinity. Modest decreases in the solubility of contami-
pore water, free product, solid-phase soil organic matter, clay
nants in water are to be expected with increases in salinity of
and discrete inorganic soil particles. Important individual
the solution.
processes of partitioning are dissolution, volatilization, air-
4.3.2.4 The rate of dissolution is strongly dependent upon
waterpartitioning,soil-waterpartitioningandsoil-airpartition-
the partitioning coefficient of the particular contaminant of
ing (3).
interestandtheamountofmixingoftheliquidphaseandwater
4.3.2 Dissolution is the process whereby volatile contami-
(3). For example, partitioning of a particular contaminant into
nants move between the liquid phase (free product) and the
groundwaterisacceleratedbyfrequentwaterlevelfluctuations
solute phase (dissolved in water). At equilibrium, the product
within a contaminated capillary fringe. The downstream im-
of the mole fraction of a particular compound in the liquid
plications for subsequent partitioning of the contaminant from
phaseandtheactivitycoefficientofthatcompoundintheliquid
the solute to the vapor phase for eventual soil gas recovery are
phase is equal to the product of the mole fraction of that
obvious.
compound in the solute phase and the activity coefficient of
4.3.3 Volatilization is the process during which volatile
thatcompoundinthesolutephase.Thisprocessismoreclearly
contaminants move between the liquid phase (free product) or
described by the following expression:
solute phase and a vapor phase, either the free vapor phase or
L L W W
X Γ 5 X Γ (1) the occluded vapor phase or both. Contaminant mixtures can
I I I I
contain compounds with a considerable range of vapor pres-
where:
sures that can contribute contaminants to the soil atmosphere
L
X = the mole fraction of compound (I) in the liquid (L)
I
by volatilization. This atmosphere will exhibit a composition
phase (free product),
similar to that of the parent contaminant but lacking in those
W
X = the mole fraction of compound (I) in the solute (W)
I
constituents with the lowest vapor pressures.The likelihood of
phase (dissolved in water),
the presence of a particular contaminant introduced into the
L
Γ = the activity coefficient of compound (I) in the liquid
I
soil atmosphere by volatilization can be estimated by consid-
(L) phase (free product), and
ering the partial pressure of that contaminant in a vapor phase.
W
Γ = the activity coefficient of compound (I) in the solute
I
Thispartialpressureisequaltotheproductofthemolefraction
(W) phase (dissolved in water).
concentration of the subject component in the liquid contami-
Dissolution equilibrium is therefore influenced by concen-
nant solution, the activity coefficient of the subject component
tration of the subjec
...
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