Vapor Intrusion Investigation at a Site in New Jersey: A Field Study

Abstract

A vapor intrusion investigation was conducted at a New Jersey site contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). Several residential and commercial buildings are nearby and may be impacted, including a middle school, a learning center, and a church. Groundwater water samples were collected from the site and analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Based on the results of the groundwater samples, subslab soil gas and indoor samples were collected from the buildings located in the area surrounding the site and analyzed for VOCs by using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method TO-15. The analytical data were compared against background ambient air data and the soil gas and indoor air data were compared against New Jersey state screening levels. Both PCE and TCE were found above screening levels in groundwater and subslab soil gas samples. It is recommended that further groundwater and vapor intrusion investigations be performed at the nearby buildings and an appropriate remediation technology be used to remediate vapor intrusion at the affected buildings.