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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/12153| Title: | Enhanced preservation of volatile organic compounds in soil with sodium bisulfate |
| Authors: | U.S. Army Environmental Center. Hewitt, Alan D. (Alan Dole) |
| Keywords: | Biodegradation Sodium bisulfate Preservation Volatile organic compounds Soils Soil analysis |
| 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.)) ; 95-26. |
| Description: | Special Report Abstract: Sodium bisulfate (NaHSO4) was evaluated as a means of chemically preserving soil samples to prevent the microbiological degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Laboratory sample treatment consisted of spiking soil samples held in glass ampoules with aqueous solutions containing eight different VOCs or gasoline and then sealing them to eliminate volatilization as a concern. Samples preserved with NaHSO4 were held at room temperature (22°C), while equal numbers of unpreserved samples were stored refrigerated (4°C) and at room temperature. Results show that concentrations of all of the halogenated hydrocarbons tested (14) remain fairly constant, independent of temperature or preservation. In contrast, all the aromatic hydrocarbons (10) tested as separate analytes, or ones that could easily be identified in gasoline, experienced a complete (>95%) loss when held for nine days at room temperature. Refrigeration reduced the rate of biodegradation, but two aromatic hydrocarbons showed substantial losses (>80%) within the currently recommended 14-day holding period. Over a 28-day refrigerated period, reductions of greater than 95% occurred for 9 of 10 aromatic hydrocarbons tested. With the exception of styrene, chemical preservation by introducing NaHSO4 mitigated the loss of all of aromatic hydrocarbons tested over a 28-day holding period when samples were stored at room temperature. Therefore, NaHSO4 preservation is one way of effectively eliminating biodegradation of VOCs in soil samples intended for low level (<1-μg/g) analysis. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/12153 |
| Appears in Collections: | Special Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR-95-26.pdf | 464.5 kB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |