Soil Samplers:New Techniques for Subsurface Sampling for Volatile Organic Compounds

Sorini, Susan ; Schabron, John ; Rovani, Joseph ; Sanderson, Mark

University Of Wyoming Research

关键词: Testing;    Samplers;    Organic Compounds;    Sampling;    Soils;   

DOI  :  10.2172/993082
RP-ID  :  None
RP-ID  :  FC26-98FT40323
RP-ID  :  993082

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Soil sampling techniques for volatile organic analysis must be designed to minimize loss of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the soil that is being sampled. Preventing VOC loss from soil cores that are collected from the subsurface and brought to the surface for subsampling is often difficult. Subsurface bulk sample retrieval systems are designed to obtain intact cylindrical cores of soil ranging anywhere from one to four inches in diameter, and one to several feet in length. The current technique that is used to subsample these soil cores for VOC analysis is to expose a horizontal section of the soil core to the atmosphere; screen the exposed soil using a photoionization detector (PID) or other appropriate device to locate contamination in the soil core; and use a hand-operated coring tool to collect samples from the exposed soil for analysis. Because the soil core can be exposed to the atmosphere for a considerable length of time during screening and sample collection, the current sub-sampling technique provides opportunity for VOCs to be lost from the soil. This report describes three alternative techniques from the current technique for screening and collecting soil samples from subsurface soil cores for VOC analysis and field testing that has been done to evaluate the techniques. Based on the results of the field testing, ASTM D4547, Standard Guide for Sampling Waste and Soils for Volatile Organic Compounds, was revised to include information about the new techniques.