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Title:	Chemical preservation of volatile organic compounds in soil subsamples
Authors:	U.S. Army Environmental Center. Hewitt, Alan D. (Alan Dole)
Keywords:	Soils Soil pollution Soil testing Chemical preservation Soil sampling Hazardous waste Volatile organic compounds
Publisher:	Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.:	Special report (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.)) ; 95-5.
Description:	Special Report Abstract: This study evaluated chemical preservation as a means of inhibiting the biological degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil subsamples held for 14 days or longer. Experiments were performed using a soil in which benzene and toluene were found to rapidly biodegrade under aerobic conditions while following protocols consistent with high-level (VOCs at >1 μg/g) and low-level (VOCs at <1 μg/g) purge-and-trap gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and static headspace gas chromatography analysis. Chemical preservation consisted of immersing soil subsamples fortified with trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (TDCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene and toluene in methanol or water acidified to a pH of less than 2 with NaHSO4. These two methods of chemical preservation resulted in stable concentrations of these two aromatic hydrocarbons even when held at room temperature. The two chlorinated hydrocarbons showed stable concentrations with and without chemical preservation. This result, in conjunction with earlier findings, suggests that chemical preservation is more effective at suppressing biodegradation than the current practice of refrigeration (4°C).
Rights:	Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/11681/12113
Appears in Collections:	Special Report