LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

In Situ Equilibrium Polyethylene Passive Sampling of Soil Gas VOC Concentrations: Modeling, Parameter Determinations, and Laboratory Testing.

Photo from wikipedia

The use of low-density polyethylene (PE) sheets as equilibrium passive soil gas samplers to quantify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, and chlorinated solvents (e.g.,… Click to show full abstract

The use of low-density polyethylene (PE) sheets as equilibrium passive soil gas samplers to quantify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, and chlorinated solvents (e.g., trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene) in unsaturated subsurface environments was evaluated via modeling and benchtop testing. Two methods were devised to quantify such VOCs in PE. Key chemical properties, including PE-water (KPEw) and PE-air (KPEa) partition coefficients and diffusivities in the PE (Dpe), were determined. These KPEw, KPEa, and Dpe values were consistent with extrapolations of data based on larger compounds. Using these parameter values, field equilibration times of less than 1 day were estimated for such VOCs when using 70-100 μm thick PE sheets. Further, benchtop batch tests carried out in jars filled with VOC-contaminated soils, after 1 or 2 days, showed concentrations in soil air deduced from PE that were consistent with concentrations deduced by analyzing either water or headspace gases recovered from the same tests. Thus, PE-based measurements may overcome inaccuracies from using total soil concentrations and equilibrium partitioning models that may overestimate vapor phase concentrations up to 2 orders of magnitude.

Keywords: polyethylene; parameter; soil gas; situ equilibrium; soil

Journal Title: Environmental science & technology
Year Published: 2022

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.