Soil gas testing is a cost effective alternative to traditional methods of volatile organic compound (VOC) detection. VOC's include many motor fuels, industrial solvents and landfill gases.
The conventional approach of ground water well drilling, installation, development, sampling and laboratory analysis, can be a lengthy and costly process, especially if re-sampling is required. Soil gas testing minimizes these problems. When used during initial stages of a site investigation, soil gas sampling and analysis can optimize selection of boring and well locations by rapidly screening for VOC's in the subsurface.
On-site analysis and active sampling provide greater analytical sensitivity and reproducibility. Soil gas sample degradation can occur during shipment to a laboratory, especially at low contaminant concentrations encountered during soil gas surveys.
Active sampling, where soil gas is extracted from a specific depth, offers better reproducibility and flexibility than passive sampling methods, which rely on burial of VOC absorption devices over long periods of time.
On-site analysis also reduces the turnaround time between soil gas sampling and receipt of analytical results. The rapid turnaround time enables the investigator to make informed decisions in the field and relay results to their client as the day progresses.
