The Application of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Fingerprint Characterization in Site Investigation and Remediation |
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| Authors: | Dawn A. Zemo James E. Bruya Tom E. Graf |
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| Affiliation: | Dawn A. Zemo;received a B.A. in geology from Stephens College in 1980 and an M.S. in geology from Vanderbilt University in 1982. She is a senior hydrogeologist with Geomatrix Consultants Inc. of San Francisco, California, and is a certified engineering geologist in California. Zemo's professional experience includes petroleum exploration and development geology, petrophysics, hydrogeology, and environmental site characterization. Tom Graf;received a B.S. in civil engineering in 1976 and an M.S. in geotechnical engineering in 1979 from Stanford University. He is a principal engineer with Geomatrix Consultants Inc. of San Francisco, California. Graf is a registered professional engineer and a class A contractor in California. His professional experience includes geotechnical and foundation engineering and a broad range of environmental engineering and hazardous waste management services. James E. Bruya;received a B.S. in chemistry from Washington State University in 1973, a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1977, and was an NIH post-doctoral fellow at the University of Rochester from 1978 to 1980. Dr. Bruya is a founding partner of Friedman &Bruya Inc. of Seattle, Washington. His professional experience includes developing analytical testing methods for characterization of petroleum products, teaching workshops and seminars, and assisting clients with expert chemical consulting and testing services. He can be contacted at Friedman &Bruya Inc., 3012 16th Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119. |
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| Abstract: | Tremendous resources have been and continue to be spent investigating and remediating petroleum hydrocarbon compounds (PHCs) in soil and ground water. Investigating and planning a remedial strategy for sites affected by PHCs is often a challenging task because of the complex chemical nature of the PHCs. the complex regulatory environment related to PHC cleanup, and the use of analytical methods that provide quantitation but not identification of PHCs. From a technical standpoint, the PHC impacting soil and/or ground water is frequently inadequately characterised, both in identification as well as in is general properties (solubility, toxicity). From a regulatory standpoint, promulgated or recommended total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) cleanup levels generally relate to assumed properties of specific unweathered products and are inconsistent among different agencies and regions. This produces a prime situation for unwillingly spending more resources on investigation or remediation than may be necessary, especially when the PHC in the subsurface has different properties from unweathered products such as gasoline or diesel.
Accurately identifying the PHC and its nature, a process known as fingerprint characterization, is critical to the determination of appropriate regulatory goals and design of cost-effective remedial approaches. This paper presents several case studies in which fingerprint characterization made a significant difference in the project outcome. In each instance the nature of the organic material was better understood, the regulatory cleanup levels were negotiated based on the nature of the material, and a remedial approach was implemented that differed significantly from and was generally less costly than what would have been required without fingerprint characterization data. |
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