United States Environmental Protection Agency Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 Research and Development EPA/600/SR-92/124 December 1992 EPA Project Summary Air Emissions from the Treatment of Soils Contaminated with Petroleum Fuels and Other Substances Bart Eklund, Patrick Thompson, Adrienne Inglis, and Whitney Dulaney This document summarizes available information on air emissions from the treatment of soils contaminated with fuels. It is intended to guide state and local air pollution control agencies in the evaluation of the air emission po- tential of treatment of contaminated soil and the cost-effectiveness of applicable emission control technologies. The scope was limited to the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); however, due to the limited data that were available, information was also included for the emissions of other or- ganic compounds. This additional in- formation is primarily from the treat- ment of soils contaminated with haz- ardous wastes. This Project Summary was developed by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, Research Tri- angle Park, NC, to announce key find- ings of the research project that is fully documented in a separate report of the same title (see Project Report ordering information at back). Introduction ' Seven general approaches for the dis- posal or treatment of soils contaminated with gasoline, oil, or diesel fuel were iden- tified: Excavation and removal; Thermal desorption; Soil vapor extraction (SVE); In-Situ biotreatment (e.g., land treat- ment); Ex-Situ (batch) biotreatment; On-site incineration; and Soil washing/solvent extraction. Each general approach may include sev- eral options. For example, thermal des- orption may be performed in portable units designed for soil treatment or in rotary drum aggregate dryers that are part of asphalt plants or other industrial facilities. Literature pertaining to the emissions of VOCs for each remediation approach was identified and reviewed. The summarized information was organized into the same ten-part format for each approach: Process description; Identification of air emission points; Identification of typical air emission species of concern; Summary of published air emissions data; Identification of applicable control technologies; Cost data for the overall remediation approach; Cost data for the emission controls; Equations and models for estimating VOC emissions; Case study of the use of the remediation approach; and References. For most of the technologies examined, VOC emission estimates or measured data were found. Emission factors, in grams per hour, were identified or developed that are based on available data as well as assumed "typical" operating conditions for Printed on Recycled Paper ------- the remediation of relatively large sites. Cost data, in dollars per ton or cubic yard of soil treated, were obtained from a vari- ety of sources, but data from prior to 1986 were generally avoided due to changes in remediation technology, standard operat- ing practices, and regulations in recent years. All cost data were converted to 1991 dollars using a 5% annual escala- tion factor. Certain limitations of the data presented in this document should be considered before extrapolations are made to a spe- cific site. Any generalized guidance has inherent limitations due to the variety of she- and process-specific factors that may be encountered. Many of the cleanup processes are emerging technologies and have short operating histories. For these technologies, data on air emissionsrtreat- ment effectiveness, and costs are very limited. Furthermore, each site has its own unique obstacles to cleanup that may force modifications to the cleanup hard- ware or operating conditions. The devel- opment of typical air emission rates and emission factors applicable to the maxi- mum number of site conditions and site locations required assumptions regarding the rate and scope of the cleanup effort, the type of fuel being treated, the number and nature of emission release points, etc. The more a specific site differs from the assumed conditions, the less likely that the generalized air emissions data will be applicable. Data gaps were identified and future research topics were suggested. In gen- eral, only limited information was found -for air-emissions-from-the-treatmant-of contaminated soil. The need for more data is greatest for emerging technologies and those that are area sources of VOC emissions. The general needs are for more emissions data, more control cost and effectiveness data, and accurate emis- sion models. The most important research needs that were identified during this study were: VOC emission rate data for excava- tion; Theoretical models to estimate VOC emissions from excavation; Cost and effectiveness'data of area source emission controls; and Fate studies for VOCs in biotreatment systems. B. Eklund, P. Thompson, A. Inglis, and W. Dulaneyare with Radian Corp. Austin, TX 78720-1088. Susan A. Thorneloe is the EPA Project Officer (see below). The complete report, entitled "Air Emissions from the Treatment of Soils Contami- nated with Petroleum Fuels and other Substances," (Order No. PB92- 212 976/ AS; Cost: $35.00; subject to change) will be available only from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA22161 Telephone: 703-487-4650 The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at: Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 United States Environmental Protection Agency Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati, OH 45268 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 BULK RATE POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT No. G-35 EPA/600/SR-92/124 ------- |