United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA 542-N-99-007
October 1999
Issue No. 35
®EPA TECH TRENDS
CONTENTS
Soil Sampling
Technology Verification page 1
Horizontal Drilling Used
to Sample Soil page 2
Tree Core Analysis to
Delineate CAM
Contamination page 3
Measurements
Monitoring Technologies
for the 21st Century page 4
The Applied Technologies
Newsletter for Superfund
Removals & Remedial
Actions & RCRA Corrective
Action
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
This issue highlights recent
demonstration results and new
technical resources on several
innovative technologies for
site characterization and
process monitoring.
Soil Sampling
Technology
Verification
by Eric Koglin and Steve Billets,
U.S. EPA National Exposure
Research Laboratory
Four soil sampling technologies for
collecting volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) were among those tested over the
past four years under the Monitoring and
Measurement Technology portion of the
U.S. EPA's Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program
and the Site Characterization and
Monitoring Technologies (SCMT) Pilot
of the Environmental Technology
Verification (ETV) Program. The SCMT
Pilot is one of 12 ETV pilots designed to
verify the performance of commercial-
ready environmental technologies. The
purpose of these verification programs is
to accelerate the development and
commercialization of improved environ-
mental technology through third party
verification and reporting of perfor-
mance. The goal of the ETV Program is
to verify the performance characteristics
of commercial-ready environmental
technologies through the evaluation of
objective and quality-assured data so that
potential purchasers and permitters are
provided with an independent and
credible assessment of the technology
that they are buying or permitting. The
purpose of the SITE Program is to
conduct research and performance
verification studies of alternative or
innovative technologies that may be used
to achieve long-term protection of
human health and the environment.
The soil sampling technology demon-
stration, which was conducted at the
SBA Site in Albert City, IA, and the
CSC Site in Denver, CO, was designed
to generate performance information for
each participating technology. The
demonstration design required collection
of soil samples by both the tested
technology and the reference sampling
method (split spoon sampler). Samples
were sent to a commercial laboratory for
analysis, and the analytical results were
used to compare the performance of the
tested samplers with that of the reference
sampler. Comparisons between tech-
nologies, however, were not made.
A pre-demonstration sampling exercise
was used to delineate sampling locations
at the two sites. A 10.5- by 10.5-foot
area was identified at each site and
divided into seven rows and seven
columns, producing 49 18- by 18-inch
sampling cells. Twelve grid-depth
combinations exhibiting consistent soil
texture, acceptable VOC concentrations,
and acceptable variability in VOC
concentrations were selected for the
demonstration. A sample cell in each
column was selected randomly.
Four soil sampling technologies were
tested:
• Simulprobe Technologies, Inc.'s
Core Barrel Sampler
[continued on page 2]
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% recycled fiber
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Figure 1. Highlights of Soil Sampling Technology Demonstration
Technology
Core Barrel Sampler
AMS Dual Tube Liner
Sampler
Large-Bore Soil
Sampler
JMC
Environmentalist's
Subsoil Probe
Reference Sampler
Sample Recoveries
(percent)
CSC Site
68
70
78
95
87
SBA Site
95
91
98
96
88
Investigation-Derived Waste
Soil
(gallons)
18
20
18
<6
990
Waste Water
(gallons)
50
25
35
<6
150
Sample Throughput
(minutes per sample)
CSC Site
11.8
10.9
15.3
13.4
8.4
SBA Site
21.4
16.4
27.5
22.5
26
[continued from page 1]
• Art's Manufacturing and Supply's
AMS Dual Tube Liner Sampler
• Geoprobe Systems, Inc.'s Large-Bore
Soil Sampler
• Clements Associates, Inc.'s JMC
Environmentalist's Subsoil Probe
Each soil sampling technology was
compared to the reference sampling
method in terms of the following param-
eters: (1) sample recovery, (2) VOC
concentration in recovered samples, (3)
sample integrity, (4) reliability and
throughput, and (5) cost. These param-
eters were assessed in two different soil
textures and in high- and low-concentra-
tion areas at each site. In addition,
integrity tests were conducted by advanc-
ing a sampler filled with uncontaminated
potting soil into a zone of grossly
contaminated soil.
Selected highlights of the performance
results are provided in Figure 1. Final
verification reports on these technologies
are available for downloading through the
ETV Web site at www.epa.gov/etv.
Under the SCMT Pilot, a total of 29
innovative technologies have been tested
and verified, including 2 cone
penetrometer-deployed sensors, 2 field-
portable gas chromatograph/mass
spectrometers, 2 soil gas samplers, 7
field-portable X-ray fluorescence
analyzers, 7 field analytical technologies
for polychlorinated biphenyls, and 5
wellhead monitoring technologies. For
more information, contact Steve Billets
or Eric Koglin (EPA/National Exposure
Research Laboratory) at 702-798-2232 or
702-798-2432, or e-mail
billets.stephen@epa.gov or
koglin.eric@epa.gov; Dan Powell (EPA/
Technology Innovation Office) at 703-
603-7196 or e-mail powell.dan
@epa.gov; or visit the ETV Web site at
www. epa. gov/etv.
Horizontal Drilling
Used to Sample Soil
by Michael Fracasso, State of
Connecticut/Department of
Environmental Protection, and
Katherine Sequino, Directional
Technologies, Inc.
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) can
be used to obtain soil samples without
disrupting the operations of active
industrial facilities and without violating
the structural integrity of building floor
slabs. HDD technology was employed at
an electronics circuit manufacturing site
in Danbury, CT, to determine if historical
operations had impacted sub-slab soils
located beneath areas of environmental
concern (AECs), including a number of
solid waste management units (SWMUs),
inside the plant building. The State of
Connecticut's Department of Environ-
mental Protection (DEP), which reviewed
environmental monitoring and sampling
strategies at this site under the State's
RCRA Voluntary Corrective Action
Program, found that the use of HDD
provided significant benefits over
conventional vertical drilling methods.
Conventional drilling would have
required temporary shut-down of the
facility while sampling activities oc-
curred, and possibly created new
contaminant pathways by drilling through
an epoxy-coated, layered concrete floor
slab that had been designed to be imper-
vious.
Horizontal soil sampling begins with the
drilling of an angled bore hole from the
ground surface (Figure 2). The bore's
path then is leveled, and sections of drill
pipe are added as the bore progresses
toward a designated target point. Next,
the drill bit is pulled out of the bore path
and replaced by the sampling tool. After
samples are taken, the sampling tool is
pulled out of the bore path and replaced
by the drill bit to continue drilling. This
process is repeated for each required soil
sample location. Soil conditions at the
Danbury site allowed for drilling and
sampling to be completed without a
drilling fluid additive.
At the Danbury site, seven soil samples
were collected by advancing three
horizontal bore holes through the con-
crete foundation wall of the
manufacturing building. One bore hole
was sampled at various distances from the
foundation to assess soil conditions
[continued on page 3]
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Figure 2. Installation of a Horizontal Well
[continued from page 2]
beneath SWMU 10, the present manufac-
turing area, and AEC 18. The second
bore hole was sampled to collect addi-
tional information on soil below the
present manufacturing area and AEC 18,
and on soil associated with overlying
SWMUs 9 and 11. The third bore hole
was sampled to provide data on soil
below a waste management area compris-
ing eight additional SWMUs. When
sampling was completed, each boring was
backfilled with concrete grout.
If conventional vertical drilling tech-
niques had been used to obtain soil
samples at this site, facility operations
would have had to cease temporarily
during drilling and while equipment was
moved between sample locations. Using
HDD technology, however, no facility
operations were disrupted during the
entire period of sampling. For more
information, contact Michael Fracasso
(State of Connecticut/DEP) at 860-424-
3303 or e-mail michael.fracasso@
po.state.ct.us; Katherine Sequino (Direc-
tional Technologies, Inc.) at 203-248-
9599 or e-mail kathy@directionaltech.
com; or Mark Franson (Charter Oak
Environmental Services, Inc.) at 860-
423-2670 or e-mail charter-oak@snet.net.
Tree Core Analysis to
Delineate CAN
Contamination
by Don Vroblesky, U.S. Geological
Survey
The ability of trees to take up chlorinated
aliphatic compounds (CAHs) makes the
analysis of tree cores a potentially cost-
effective and simple approach to
examining CAH contamination in soil
and shallow ground water. In addition,
this technology can assist in optimizing
well placement at hazardous waste sites.
At the TNX Area of the U.S. Department
of Energy's Savannah River Site, SC, the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently
studied the cores of six species of trees
growing over shallow ground water
contaminated with cis-l,2-dichloroethene
(cDCE) and trichloroethene (TCE).
Analysis indicated that cDCE and TCE
concentrations in the trees reflected the
configuration of chlorinated-solvent
ground-water contamination plumes.
Between January 1997 and February
1998, cores were taken from mature trees
growing above and in the vicinity of a
forested flood plain with contaminated
ground water in the TNX Area. The
USGS studied the cores of 97 trees,
including 64 bald cypress (Taxodium
distichum [L] Rich), 12 loblolly pine
(Pinus taeda L) 5 tupelo (Nyssa aquatica
L), 7 sweet gums (Liquidambar
stryaciflua L), 6 oaks (Quercus spp.), and
3 sycamores (Platanus occidentalis L.).
At selected trees, two cores were col-
lected approximately 25 millimeters from
each other to compare replication. The
cores then were analyzed using headspace
gas chromatography.
Resulting data were used to evaluate
differences in TCE and cDCE concentra-
tions among tree species and between
sites (control versus contaminated). Core
analytical results also were compared to
ground water samples taken in May and
August 1987. The area where cDCE was
found in trees occurred along a path
coincident with the ground water flow
path from a contaminant source, and
coincided with areas where cDCE was
found in ground water. The distribution
of trees containing TCE was more
widespread, however, suggesting that a
second plume of TCE exists in the
aquifer.
Differences in contaminant uptake among
the species also were identified, with the
highest demonstrated by bald cypress and
loblolly pine. TCE concentrations as
high as 2,000-3,000 nmol/L were found
in cypress pine and 1,742 nmol/L in
loblolly pine. Additionally, TCE concen-
trations decreased in cores collected from
successively higher parts of the trunk.
Contact Don Vroblesky (USGS) at 803-
750-6115 or e-mail vroblesk@usgs.gov
for more information.
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Measurement &
Monitoring
Technologies for the
1Ist Century
The U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response (OSWER) is
undertaking an initiative to advance new
systems for monitoring hazardous waste
sites. Although significant technological
advances have occurred over recent years
in the areas of chemical constituent
identification and quantification, geo-
physical analysis, and information
management, increased efforts are needed
to integrate these new tools into ongoing
site investigation and cleanup.
The Measurement & Monitoring Tech-
nologies for the 21st Century initiative,
known as 21M2, will match existing and
emerging technologies with OSWER
program and client needs through
partnerships to research and evaluate new
equipment and processes in the field. It
will also aggressively pursue the transfer
of information and lessons learned to
professionals in the hazardous waste
management and site remediation
communities. To obtain more informa-
tion or provide input on technology
needs, contact Dan Powell (EPA/OSWER
Technology Innovation Office) at 703-
603-7196 or e-mail powell.dan@epa.gov,
or visit the Hazardous Waste Clean-Up
Information (CLU-IN) Web site at
http://clu-in.org.
Field-BasedTechnologies
Training Program
The Field-Based Site Characteriza-
tion Technologies Training Program
is a five-day, advanced-level training
program designed to provide a
detailed introduction to on-site
technologies that can be used to
characterize a site, and an overview of
the planning and process issues
associated with field analytical and
sampling technologies. This course is
designed for experienced environmen-
tal professionals who are involved in
the use of field-based technologies,
related data interpretation, or related
report preparation.
The training will be offered in various
cities over the coming year at no cost
to participants. To obtain additional
information, contact the CERCLA
Education Center at 703-603-9910 or
visit EPA's Internet home page on
training opportunities at
http://www.trainex.org.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA 542-N-99-007
October 1999
Issue No. 35
TECH TRENDS
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