Concentration of tetrachloroethylene in indoor air at a former dry cleaner facility as a function of subsurface contamination: a case study.
A field study was performed to evaluate indoor air concentrations and vapor intrusion (VI) of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and other chlorinated solvents at a commercial retail site in Dallas, TX. The building is approximately 40 yr old and once housed a dry cleaning operation. Results from an initial site characterization were used to select sampling locations for the VI study. The general approach for evaluating VI was to collect time-integrated canister samples for off-site U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method TO-15 analyses. PCE and other chlorinated solvents were measured in shallow soil gas, subslab soil-gas, indoor air, and ambient air. The subslab soil gas exhibited relatively high values: PCE < or =2,600,000 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) and trichloroethylene < or =170 ppbv. The attenuation factor, the ratio of indoor air and subslab soil-gas concentrations, was unusually low: approximately 5 x 10(-6) based on the maximum subslab soil-gas concentration of PCE and 1.4 x 10(-5) based on average values.
Eklund
Bart M
BM
URS Corporation, Austin, TX 78720-1088, USA. bart_eklund@urscorp.com
Simon
Michelle A
MA
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D007846:Laundering; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis; D013781:Texas; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012997:Solvents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical