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An Investigation of a Soil Gas Sampling Technique and Its Applicability for Detecting Gaseous PCE and TCA Over an Unconfined Granular Aquifer

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An Investigation of a Soil Gas Sampling Technique and Its Applicability for Detecting Gaseous PCE and TCA Over an Unconfined Granular Aquifer Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 6-1988 An Investigation of a Soil Gas Sampling Technique and Its Applicability for Detecting Gaseous PCE and TCA Over an Unconfined Granular Aquifer Timothy J. Mayotte Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons, and the Hydrology Commons Recommended Citation Mayotte, Timothy J., "An Investigation of a Soil Gas Sampling Technique and Its Applicability for Detecting Gaseous PCE and TCA Over an Unconfined Granular Aquifer" (1988). Master's Theses. 1201. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1201 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN INVESTIGATION OF A SOIL GAS SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND ITS APPLICABILITY FOR DETECTING GASEOUS PCE AND TCA OVER AN UNCONFINED GRANULAR AQUIFER by Timothy J. Mayotte A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Geology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan June 1983 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. AN INVESTIGATION OF A SOIL GAS SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND ITS APPLICABILITY FOR DETECTING GASEOUS PCE AND TCA OVER AN UNCONFINED GRANULAR AQUIFER Timothy J. Mayotte, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1988 A soil gas sampling and analytical technique was investigated to evaluate its ability and versatility for detecting chlorinated hydrocarbons in unconfined aquifers. The technique wa3 used successfully to delineate plumes of perchloroethene (PCS), and 1,1,1- trichlorcethane (TCA) contamination present in the vadose zone, and at the water table of an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. Soil gas samples were obtained by concentrating PCE and TCA vapors diffusing from these sources onto a sorbent material. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The data from the analysis of these samples were used to provide an initial estimate of the source areas, and the areal extent of the groundwater plumes beneath the study area. These estimates were confirmed with water quality data. High degrees of correlation were proven to exist between the soil gas and water quality data obtained during this study. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of those people who lended technical and clerical assistance and were instrumental in completing this study. I would especially like to thank my parents, Bernard and Jean Mayotte. Over the years they have sacrificed much of their personal interests and have given invaluable support while I have worked to complete my educational goals. Finally, I want to thank my wife Kathleen for all the support and encouragement she has given me while I have worked on this study. Kath has also, willingly, sacrificed many of her own interests and has been my constant source of strength over these past few years. It is to her that I dedicate this study. Timothy J . Mayotte ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning” the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University MaadnSms International 300 N .Zeeb Road Ann Arbor. Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 1334189 An investigation of a soil gas sampling technique and its applicability for detecting gaseous PCE and TCA over an unconfined granular aquifer Mayotte, Timothy Joseph, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1988 Copyright ©1988 by Mayotte, Timothy Joseph. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: in all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages _____ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print ______ 3. Photographs with dark background 4. Illustrations are poor copy ______ 5. Paces with black marks, not original copy ^ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page ______ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages _ _ z _ 8. Print exceeds margin requirements_____ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print______ 11. Page(s)___________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)___________seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages_ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received _ 16. Other________________________________________________________________ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Timothy Joseph Mayotte 1988 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................ ii LIST OF TABLES.......................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES........................................vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION............. 1 Previous Studies . « . * . * * . 1 The Problem.................................3 Objectives..................................4 II. CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT THEORY: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................... 6 Infiltration Into an Unconfined Aquifer....7 Transport in the Saturated Zone........... 11 Transport in the Capillary Fringe......... 16 Vapor Transport in the Vadose Zone........16 III. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA.................... 26 History................................... 26 Geography and Demography.................. 30 Climatology................ 34 Soils ..... 36 Surface Waters............................ 38 Geology....................................38 Hydrogeology.............................. 44 Target Compounds.......................... 47 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents— Continued CHAPTER IV. DATA ACQUISITION.............................. 49 Soil Gas Sampling......................... 49 Soil Gas Sample Analysis.................. 69 Troubleshooting............. 89 Temporary Well Sampling................... 96 Temporary Well Sample Analysis........ 103 V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION....................... 104 Soil Gas Sampling Results ..... 104 Temporary Well Sampling Results.......... 115 Discussion of the Results................ 123 Statistical Analysis..................... 129 VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............. 135 Conclusions...............................135 Recommendations...........................138 APPENDICES A. Boring Logs............................ 141 B. Soil Gas Sample Logs............ 161 C. Calibration of Air Sampling Pumps..........
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