Soil Gas Sampling drilling process and Techniques presented by Earth Solutions, Inc.

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Soil Gas Sampling drilling process and
Techniques presented by Earth Solutions, Inc.
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Talking Points

• Information from the IEPA
• Types of soil gas samples
• Equipment used for sampling
• Materials used for sampling
• Drilling process for each type of sample
• Client Checklist
• Resources
• Q A

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Soil Gas Sampling

• Requirements
• Sample locations determined by the Program under
  which the remediation is being conducted
• Soil gas samples collected at least 3 feet below
  the ground surface, above the saturated zone and
  within the area of contamination
• No soil gas sampling shall take place within 48
  hours after a ½ inch or greater rainfall
• No soil gas sampling in standing or ponded water
  areas or soil constantly watered by an irrigation
  system

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Soil Gas Sampling

• Soil Gas Collection Requirements
• A direct push method should be used to advance a
  heavy-gauge decontaminated steel probe, with an
  expendable tip, to the desired depth.
• Rigid-wall tubing made of nylon, Teflon, or
  material approved by the Illinois EPA
• Use gas-tight inert containers
• Purge three volumes
• Flow rate limited to 200 ml/minute
• Helium tracer gas or other leak apparatus
  detection approved by the Illinois EPA must be
  used during the sampling

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Soil Gas SamplingProtocol

• Soil gas samples should be collected in areas
  where volatile chemical contamination in the soil
  or groundwater has been identified. Soil gas
  samples must be collected from a depth at least
  three feet below the ground surface or building
  foundation, but above the saturated zone. No
  soil gas sampling should take place within 48
  hours after a rainfall event of ½ inch or
  greater, in standing or ponded water areas and
  where soil is constantly watered by an
  irrigation system.
• Utilities should be identified to assess possible
  man-made pathways. A direct push method should
  be used to advance a heavy-gauge decontaminated
  steel probe, with an expendable tip, to the
  desired depth. Once the desired depth (greater
  than three feet below ground surface or building
  foundation) is reached, connect the 1/8 to ¼
  inch outside diameter post-run tubing of either
  Teflon or nylon to the expendable point holder.
  Pull the rods up three to six inches to create a
  cavity to collect the soil gas sample. Seal the
  rods at the surface with bentonite, clay, or use
  a water dam to prevent air from entering around
  the rods. Purge the tubing of three volumes
  prior to the collection of the soil gas sample.
• Information provided by Illinois EPA - Bureau of
  Land
• http/www.epa.state.il.us/land/taco/soil-gas-sampl
  ing-protocol.html

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Soil Gas SamplingProtocol

• A helium tracer gas (or another tracer gas or
  other leak apparatus detection system approved by
  the Illinois EPA) must be used during the
  sampling to confirm there are no leaks around the
  soil gas sampling train. It may be beneficial to
  conduct a shut-in test on the sampling train
  prior to purging or sampling. If using Tedlar
  bags or Summa canisters, they must be certified
  clean by the laboratory prior to sample
  collection. The holding times for soil gas
  samples are no more than 30 days for Summa
  canisters and no more than 48 hours for Tedlar
  bags. For light sensitive or halogenated
  volatile chemical, the sample container must be
  opaque or dark-colored. Samples in transparent
  containers can be protected from light
  degradation either by placing the containers in a
  dark receptacle (such as a box) or by wrapping
  the container with aluminum foil. For example,
  glass PUF casings may be wrapped with foil.
• Information provided by Illinois EPA - Bureau of
  Land
• http/www.epa.state.il.us/land/taco/soil-gas-sampl
  ing-protocol.html

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Types of Soil Gas samples

• Temporary or one time event sampling
• Soil gas extraction through the rods
• Soil gas extraction through the rods with helium
  detector test
• Sub slab soil gas sample
• Permanent or multiple event sampling
• Stainless steel soil gas implant
• PVC soil gas installation
• Sub slab soil gas sample

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Equipment used for Sampling

• Most applications for gas soil sampling can be
  installed using a direct push equipment
• Some applications depending on access to the area
  may require the use of a Hand Cart Probe

6610
Hand Cart Probe
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Materials used for sampling

• Earth Solutions typically supplies
• Teflon or Nylon Tubing
• Soil Implants (stainless steel or PVC) and all
  materials to install the implants
• Shroud
• Helium

• Our clients typically supply
• Helium Detector
• Summa Canister
• Purging Pump (hand held)
• Responsible for writing data on the canister
• All electronic test instruments/meters

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Drilling process

• Soil gas sample through the rods (aka post run
  tubing)
• Soil gas sample through the rods with helium test
  (aka post run tubing)
• Sub slab soil gas sample
• Permanent stainless steel soil gas implant
• Permanent PVC soil gas sampling

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Client Checklist

• Do you need a one time (temporary) sample or
  multiple (permanent) samples?
• What size fitting is on your summa canister?
  Typical size is 1/4 OD. Also available 1/8,
  3/16 OD
• Do you need soil gas implants? If so, what size
  implants? 3 , 6, 21
• At what depth are the samples being taken?
• Outside or inside?
• What are the surface conditions?

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Resources

• Link to the IEPA vapor intrusion information
  www.epa.state.il.us/land/taco/indoor-inhalation-am
  endments.html
• Link to JE 1 and JE 2 Values www.epa.state.il.us
  /land/taco/indoor-air-ros.pdf
• Gregg Dunn, Manager IEPA Site Remediation Program
  greg.dunn_at_Illinois.gov

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Got gas ?

• Earth Solutions can solve your problems!