This paper, Monitoring of Soil Gas Extraction and Soil Gas by PID and FID Analyzers, has been published and is available for purchase by going to the ASTM International link here.
Accepted for presentation at ASTM International Symposium at the January 2013 Committee Week
Title: Symposium on Continuous Soil Gas Measurements: Worst Case Risk Parameters
 |
| At ASTM Committee Week #D18 symposium with Lorne Everett, Organizer, Jack Driscoll, presenter and Mark Kram, Organizer & Presenter Jacksonville, FL January 30, 2012 |
Location: Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront; Jacksonville, FL
Event Name: January 2013 Committee Week
Continuous Monitoring of Soil Gas by
PID/FID Analyzers
The photoionization detector (PID) has been used for monitoring carbon beds in
pump & treat operations for many years. One of the major applications has
been cleanup of gasoline from groundwater and soil. Initially a portable analyzer was used to
check the VOC concentration once per week. The labor cost was too high so a model 112 PID in a NEMA enclosure was selected to
continuously monitor the output of carbon beds at a gasoline station. The analyzer was set to alarm and turn off the
pump when the concentration reached 4
ppm of hexane. The alarm also triggered
a cell phone call to the office to indicate a problem. An 8GB USB data logger was used to store the
concentration as a function of time and the site was visited only once a month
to collect data and calibrate the analyzer. To meet the very low action level set by the local
environmental authorities, only a continuous analyzer could be used.
Another application
involves leaking of VOC’s into basements of buildings. Leaks can come from
contaminated soil or groundwater or even from landfills. This type of
measurement, evaluation of basements.
The HNU PID PI101 was first used to
evaluate health problems in houses at Love Canal in 1975 by the NY Dept. of
Health. Today’s instruments (DL102 or 112) can continuously monitor and log
data over longer periods of time to evaluate potential sources of leaks. An
11.7 eV lamp can be used to detect many of the low MW chlorinated HC found in
ground water and soil and a difference in the 10.6/11.7 ratio could alert the
used to the presence of low MD chlorinated HC. Dataloggers can store data for
many months and easily download data to a PC. A Model 112 can be equipped with
a flame ionization detector (FID) and a PID so that methane and other VOC can
be detected in the same analyzer. The 112 can be connected directly to the
internet allowing remote users to view the data with any PC in their office.
