In Haverford, the tests will record the presence of trichloroethylene in the groundwater at the Havertown Superfund site, explains an article in the Delaware Country Daily Times.Apart from sampling TCE levels in homes, the tests also involve installing new groundwater wells.
Vapors seep through cracks in foundation
TCE is a nonflammable, colorless liquid that is often used as a solvent to clean or degrease metal parts. Chemical spills and improper disposal can cause it to enter groundwater.
TCE vapors can volatilize or off-gas through soil and pollute indoor air by seeping through cracks in basements and foundations. Long-term exposure has been linked to risk of nerve, kidney or liver damage and cancer in these organs.
Vapor intrusion a relatively new concern
According to EPA spokesperson Roy Seneca, who was quoted in the article, EPA “now looks more closely than ever at vapor intrusion as a potential pathway. Vapor intrusion was never considered so much in the past to be a problem.
“If there was TCE in groundwater, but a public water system was in place, it wasn’t looked upon as a potential health concern. But vapor intrusion is something they look upon now as a ... concern.”
It can take up to six weeks to get results back from the laboratory.
Vapors at former auto plant sites a concern in Ohio
In Moraine, Ohio, 60 residences will be checked for vapor intrusion close to where the former GM plant operated.
GM and Motors Liquidation Co., which now owns the former plant site, have been tracking a plume of contaminated water, according to an article in the Dayton Daily News.
EPA has asked residents to sign an open access agreement. The organization has already tested groundwater and ground vapors, a spokesperson said, and they now want to check if vapors have entered homes southwest of the former manufacturing site.
Previously, groundwater around former plant sites has been found contaminated with petroleum-based chemicals or VOCs.
Industrial air cleaners a powerful ally against soil vapor intrusion
Vapor intrusion is an emerging problem in North America. The phrase "soil vapor intrusion" refers to the process by which chemicals move from an underground source into the indoor air of the buildings above.
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The chemicals seep into the soil and enter a building though cracks in basement floors and walls or openings around pipes or wires.
As a result of a difference in pressure, a building’s HVAC system can actually draw these chemical vapors into a building.
Electrocorp works with environmental consultants to provide industrial air cleaning solutions for facilities and residential dwellings affected by vapor intrusion.
Contact an Electrocorp air quality representative today for more information on vapor intrusion and our advanced activated carbon filtration systems designed to safely remove chemicals, gases, fumes and odors.
Sources:
- http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/epa-wants-to-test-home-air-in-moraine-1077767.html
- http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/02/11/news/doc4d54b7c9319b8328062319.txt
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