Unintentional Discharges of Industrial Compounds to Sanitary or Stormwater Drainage Systems in Urban Settings

Transcription

1 Presented to the AEHS 2018 Conference San Diego, California March 21, 2018 Unintentional Discharges of Industrial Compounds to Sanitary or Stormwater Drainage Systems in Urban Settings Olivia P. Jacobs; Clearwater Group James A. Jacobs; Clearwater Group Harry O Neill; Beacon Environmental Services, Inc. Ryan Schneider; Beacon Environmental Services, Inc. 1

2 Unintentional Discharges to Groundwater and Sewer Laterals defined by Sampling Sewer Air Sanitary and Storm Mains with TO-17 2

3 From EPA Current SCM of leaky sewer pipes 3

4 Where pipes intersect with groundwater, it intrudes into sewer pipes Example of PCE release; Where leaky pipes intercept PCE plumes, PCE is discovered in the sewer air PCE GW plume 4

5 Basis for Sampling Sewer Air 1. Presume PCE content in liquid is 1.64 µg/ml 2. Henry s Law projects 500 µg/m³ in sewer air 3. Where lid is closed, assume equilibrium. 500 µg/m³ PCE in sewer air 1.64 µg/ml PCE in sewer liquid Manhole Pipe Run 5

6 Samplers set in Closed Manholes approximately 12ʺ below the Manhole Lid Manhole Set with TO-17 sewer liquid sewer air Pipe Run 6

7 Passive Samplers Principles of Operation Axial type samplers For application of Fick's First Law to a diffusive sampler several simplifying assumptions are necessary: 1. That there is an ambient concentration of the analyte at the surface of the monitor (C amb ); that is, does not take matter from its surrounding environment faster than it can be replaced. 7

8 Passive Samplers Principles of Operation Additional simplifying assumptions are necessary: 2. Zero concentration of the analyte at the surface of the sorbent; that is, the adsorbent is a zero sink and therefore there is no saturation of the adsorbent (C ads = 0) 3. A linear concentration gradient between the two. Steady state conditions always exist. 8

9 VOCs in air in sewer mains and laterals Historic discharge and pipes run through TCE plume Included in Roghani et al., STOTEN,

10 (Lab) TO-17 Passive Sorbent Period of exposure depends on lab level of detection. Beacon supported this project Passive Sampler TO-17 Suspended in indoor air environment Durable in sewer environment 10

11 Deploying TO-17 Sampler in a Manhole 11

12 Example Manhole Appearance Manhole example in photo is about 2 deep. 12

13 Example Manhole Sampling Appearance Sampler set in manhole Sewer Air Sewer Liquid 13

14 Detective work - any discharged compound? Knowing the compound Carwash discharges cleaners into the sanitary sewer Lateral Main Manhole? Will we detect it in the Sewer Air in the upstream or downstream manhole? 14

15 Evaluation of Sewer Air for known Discharges - Proof of Concept If VOC Plumes intersecting Leaky Sewer Pipes result in VOCs in Sewer Air Does unintentional discharge to laterals or interception of other groundwater plumes result in Sewer Air Contamination in the sewer mains serving the site with discharged compounds? 15

16 Types of Compounds we might want to know are in the sewers Illegal Substances (meth production) - to identify nascent social problems Known IA contaminants (compounds) - since sewer air can become IA Explosives - to prevent hazards 16

17 Known discharge (by-products of producing meth) into the sanitary sewer Lateral Clean Out Main? Manhole? What will be detected in sewer air? 17

18 Ubiquitous Non-Drycleaner Compounds Which are an IA-concern Groundwater plumes with petroleum constituents. Where groundwater infiltrates sewer pipes as they intersect the plumes of elevated benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene Are these compounds in the sewer air? 18

19 Test a Typical Active Commercial Strip Sewer Mains for IA compounds 19

20 Lateral Locations and Sampled Manholes Symbol Key Sewer Lateral Location of Contributing Laterals should define the Location of Compounds in the Sewer Air 20

21 Plumes enter the Pipes which are below the Groundwater X-section of sanitary sewer pipes, ground water level and ground level The Plan View is Provided Below 21

22 Lateral elevations v. GW elevation Surface Elevation of manhole 10 Groundwater elevation 5 0 Elevation of sanitary sewer main * * * * -5 Feet amsl * Approximate location of lateral/main connection Elevation of lateral (standard depth) at 3 feet bgs Lateral Trench to main Tie-in Note that sewer main was replaced in 1990, but laterals could date back to the 1940s. 22

23 Contaminant Plumes per Geotracker Symbol Key Historic Groundwater Flow Directions According to Release #1 data Groundwater Contaminant Plumes in Fill in Bay Mud 23

24 Elevated Sewer Air Contamination Anticipated (per 3 releases)

25 Compounds identified in Sewer Air Chloroform Carbon Tetrachloride Benzene Toluene Ethylbenzene Xylenes No TPH! 25

26 IA Compounds of Concern identified in Sewer Air Three Compounds above IA ESLs Benzene Chloroform Carbon Tectrachloride IA ESL µg/m³ IA ESL 0.12 µg/m³ IA ESL µg/m³ Note - These only matter where sewer air is directly entering into living spaces. 26

27 Benzene Measured in the Sewer Air

28 Benzene Measured in the Sewer Air ? Compound Benzene in µg/m³ In Indoor Air ESL µg/m³ 0.0? ? ? 28

29 Carbon Tetrachloride in the Sewer Air < Compound Carbon Tetrachloride In µg/m³ In Indoor Air ESL µg/m³ 29

30 Contours of Carbon Tetrachloride 1.0? ? ? < ? 30

31 Chloroform in the Sewer Air < Compound Chloroform In µg/m³ In Indoor Air ESL 0.12 µg/m³ 31

32 Chloroform Contour in the Sewer Air 1.0? < ? ? 32

33 Benzene along the Sewer Main vs ESLs

34 Chloroform Along the Sewer Main

35 Carbon Tetrachloride Along the Sewer Main

36 Exposure Levels from Sewer Air Benzene all of the manholes had levels 10X ESLs Chloroform 7 of 8 manholes had x10 ESLs 3 of 8 had x100 ESLs 1 of 8 had x1000 ESLs Carbon Tetrachloride 7 of 8 had x10 ESLs 3 of 8 had x100 ESLs 2 of 8 had x1000 ESLs 1 of 8 had x10,000 ESLs 36

37 Exposure - Where SA moves into IA Research by others suggests a 1:10 attenuation between manhole and IA. To evaluate the risk from the compounds in sewer air at this site, Benzene is at ESL threshold Chloroform is at up to 100X ESLs Carbon Tetrachloride is at up to 1,000X ESLs 37

38 Exposure Where Sewer Air reaches IA Benzene, Carbon Tetrachloride Chloroform levels in sewer air in Sewer lines serving Residential areas Residential Commercial Pump Station (line ends) 0.85 ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA 0.12 Note: Commercial washroom exposures are not followed since duration of exposure is small ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA 0.12 Commercial 2.23 ESL IA ESL IA ESL IA

39 Exposure = Leaky Plumbing + negative IA pressure Benzene in the Sewer Main Air. Failed Plumbing Seal Exhaust Fan From City of Newport News, VA 39

40 For future research - Stormwater/Sanitary Air Relationship (Benzene) ? 0.82? Single stormwater manhole air sample result Note that the stormwater manhole air benzene value and the first and last sewer air samples are virtually the same. Agency has no map of connectivity. 40

41 Observations/Summary/Questions No TPH!? IA concern contaminants, if delivered into IA, are a health concern Contaminants increase from first plume, through second and third plumes, past the car wash and up through the Fast Food then decrease in all compounds. Are they diluted or dispersed? While the chloroform may originate from chlorinated water, where is the carbon tetrachloride coming from? 41

42 Selected References Hawkins, J Vapor intrusion in Texas: evaluating the indoor air pathway. Presentation to the Society of Texas Environmental Professionals. Vroblesky, D.A., Petkewich, M.D., Lowery, M.A., Landmeyer, J.E., Sewers as a Source and Sink of Chlorinated-Solvent Groundwater Contamination, Marine Corps, Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. Riis, C.E.; Christensen, A.G.; Hansen, M.H.; and Husum, H., Vapor Intrusion through sewer systems: migration pathways of chlorinated solvents from groundwater to indoor air, presented at the Seventh Battelle International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds. McHugh, T.E., Kuder, T., Fiorenza, S., Gorder, K., Dettenmaier, E.and Philp. P., Application of CSIA to Distinguish Between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOCs. Environmental Science & Technology, 45 (14): Gorder, K.A. and Dettenmaier, E.M., Portable GC/MS Methods to Evaluate Sources of cvoc Contamination in Indoor Air. Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation 31, (4): Dettenmaier, E. South Weber Vapor Intrusion Investigation Reveals Sewer as Surprising Source. EnviroNews, March

43 Selected References (cont.) Pennell, K.G., Scammell, M.K., McClean, M.D., Ames, J., Weldon, B., Friguglietti, L., Suuberg, E. M., Shen, R., Indeglia, P.A., Heiger-Bernays, W. J., Sewer Gas: An Indoor Air Source of PCE to Consider During Vapor Intrusion Investigations. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, 33 (3): Macklin, Y., Welfare, W., Kowalczyk, G., Mitchem, L, Modi. A., Craswell, A., Brown, M. and Lighton, L., Sewers, Culverts and Other Underground Pipes - an Under Recognised Pathway for Chemical Exposures in Acute Incidents: Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Case Series. Nielsen, K.B., Hvidberg, B., and Hyldegaard, W., Vinyl Chloride in Indoor Air Solved by Depressurization of the Sewer. Battelle Ninth International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds. Nielsen, K.B., and Hvidberg, B., Sewer Systems as a Major Intrusion Pathway for VOCs to Indoor Air. AquaConSoil. Guo, Y.; Dahlen, P.; Luo, E.; Gorder, K., Dettenmaier, E., Johnson P.; Holton, C., Identification of alternative vapor intrusion pathways using controlled pressure testing, soil gas monitoring, and screening model calculations. Environmental Science & Technology 49 (22):

44 Selected References (cont.) McHugh, T.E., Beckley, L., Sullivan, T., Lutes, C., Truesdale, R., Uppencamp, R., Cosky, B., Zimmerman, J. and Schumacher, B., Evidence of a Sewer Vapor Transport Pathway at the USEPA Vapor Intrusion Research Duplex, Science of the Total Environment, 598: McHugh, T.E., Loll, P., and Eklund, B., Recent Advances in Vapor Intrusion Site Investigations. Journal of Environmental Management, p Nielsen, K.B., and Hvidberg, B., Remediation Techniques for Mitigating Vapor Intrusion for Sewer Systems into Indoor Air, 27 (3): Roghani, M., Jacobs, O.P., Miller, A., Willett, E.J., Jacobs, J.A., Viteri, R., Shirazi, E. and Pennell, K.G., (accepted by STOTEN for publication) Occurrence of Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in a Sanitary Sewer System: Implications for Assessing Vapor Intrusion Alternative Pathways. Ruegg, K., and Hvidberg, B., Indoor Air Problems Caused by Chlorinated Solvents Spreading through Public Sewage Systems. AquaConSoil. 44

45 Presented to the AEHS 2018 San Diego, California March 21, 2018 Olivia P. Jacobs, C.E.M.; Clearwater Group James A. Jacobs, P.G., C.H.G., C.P.G.; Clearwater Group Harry O Neill, President, Beacon Environmental Services, Inc. harry.oneill@beacon-usa.com Ryan Schneider, Sr. P.M., Beacon Environmental Services, Inc. ryan.schneider@beacon-usa.com 45