Evaluation of Long-Term Flow Controller for Monitoring Gases and Vapors in Buildings Impacted by Vapor Intrusion

Alan Rossner; David P Wick; Christopher Lutes; Benjamin Stone; Michelle Crimi

doi:10.3390/ijerph20064811

Evaluation of Long-Term Flow Controller for Monitoring Gases and Vapors in Buildings Impacted by Vapor Intrusion

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 9;20(6):4811. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20064811.

Authors

Alan Rossner¹, David P Wick², Christopher Lutes³, Benjamin Stone¹, Michelle Crimi¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA.
² School of Individualized Study, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA.
³ Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Dallas, TX 75201, USA.

Abstract

This study evaluated the use of a long-term capillary flow controller paired with an evacuated canister for indoor air exposure monitoring in a vapor intrusion (VI) environment with trichloroethylene in comparison to the traditional method utilizing a diaphragm flow controller. Traditionally, air sampling with 6 L evacuated canisters equipped with diaphragm flow controllers has been best suited for 8 to 24 h samples. New advances in capillary flow controllers can extend sampling to up to 3 weeks by reducing flow rates to 0.1 milliliters min^-1. During six 2 wk sampling events, conventional diaphragm flow controller canisters were used to collect 24 h samples simultaneously with capillary flow controllers collecting 2 wk samples. Testing was performed at four indoor locations in buildings impacted by VI with co-located samples for each method at each location. All samples were analyzed using GC/MS, and the results were statistically analyzed to produce a direct comparison of the two sampling systems. Ninety-two percent of the 14 d capillary samples were within the 95% levels of agreement of the average concentration of the diaphragm flow controllers. The ability to collect 14 days of data, with less occupant disturbance, allows for improved exposure assessments and thus improved risk management decisions.

Keywords: Summa canister; capillary flow controller; diaphragm flow controller; time-integrated sampling; volatile organic compounds.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Gases
Trichloroethylene* / analysis

Substances

Gases
Trichloroethylene
Air Pollutants

Grants and funding

The authors declare that this study received funding from the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). The funder had the following involvement with the study: ESTCP provided funding for this research under contract number ER-201504. ESTCP-funded projects are conducted at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) facilities and sites to document improved efficiency, reduced liability, improved environmental outcomes, and improved costs. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication.