Guidance Manual for Environmental Site Characterization …

1 Guidance Manual FOR Environmental site . Characterization IN SUPPORT OF. Environmental AND HUMAN HEALTH RISK. ASSESSMENT. volume 1 Guidance Manual . PN 1551. ISBN 978-1-77202-026-7 PDF. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2016. PREFACE. This Manual is one of a series of volumes dedicated to providing Guidance on Environmental site Characterization in support of Environmental and human health risk assessment at contaminated sites. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) initiated the National Contaminated Sites Remediation Program (NCSRP), a five year program (1989-1995), to develop a consistent national approach for the assessment and remediation of Canada's contaminated sites, and specifically to clean up high-risk orphan contaminated sites. As part of providing national tools for site Characterization , the NCSRP released the Guidance Manual on Sampling, Analysis, and Data Management for Contaminated Sites ( volume I: Main Report, and volume II: Analytical Method Summaries) in 1993, and the Subsurface Assessment Handbook for Contaminated Sites in 1994.

2 The purpose of this document, and related volumes, is to provide a replacement of the 1993 sampling and analytical Guidance . This work is being done by the Soil Quality Guidelines Task Group, which was established by CCME to develop Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines and to continue providing national Guidance on contaminated sites after sunsetting of the NCSRP. The goal of the Environmental site Characterization Guidance is to provide Canadians with a consistent approach to sampling and analyzing complex Environmental matrices, such that the data obtained will be representative and of known quality. The Guidance provides a summary of key elements that should be performed, and reported, during site investigations. The Guidance also recommends sample handling and storage requirements, analytical methods, and method specific quality control and assurance procedures to ensure that the results of laboratory analyses are reported for Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines with sufficient quality upon which to base decisions.

3 The Environmental site Characterization Guidance consists of four volumes: volume 1: Guidance Manual [this document]. volume 2: Checklists volume 3: Suggested Operating Procedures volume 4: Analytical Methods Methods and any reference to specific sampling equipment provided in this Guidance are provided for information purposes only. CCME does not warrant the use of any of these methods or equipment. The responsibility for selection and use lies solely with the user. volume 1: Guidance Manual i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The primary authors of the four volume site Characterization Guidance were: Dr. Ian Hers, Mr. Guy Patrick, Dr. Reidar Zapf-Gilje (Golder Associates Ltd) for volume 1 (chapters 1-8), volume 2, and volume 3, and SOPs 1-6; Ms. Miranda Henning, Ms. Andrea Fogg, Ms. Katrina Leigh (Environ International Corp.) for volume 1 (chapters 9-11) and sections of chapter 4, media specific material in volume 2, volume 3, and SOPs 7-17; Barry Loescher, with the assistance of Elizabeth Walsh, (Maxxam Analytics) volume 4.

4 Golder, Environ and Maxxam provided assistance in addressing public review comments. The four volumes were extensively reviewed by members of the CCME Soil Quality Guidelines Task Group, and colleagues within their respective jurisdictions. CCME would like to thank reviewers who provided feedback during the public review process. The contribution of time and expertise of all participants is gratefully acknowledged. volume 1: Guidance Manual ii TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1 INTRODUCTION .. 1. Background and Purpose .. 1. Intended Audience and Guidance 1. Scope .. 1. Guidance Outline .. 2. 2 CONTAMINATED site INVESTIGATION AND MANAGEMENT. PROCESS .. 6. Integrated Risk Management Process for Contaminated Sites .. 6. site Characterization Process .. 6. Phased Investigation 7. Data Quality as a Central Theme to the site Characterization 7. Development of a Conceptual site Model .. 8. Define the Project Background and Goals .. 12. Establish the Investigation Objectives.

5 13. Prepare a Sampling and Analysis Plan .. 14. Review of Existing Data .. 14. Pre-mobilization Tasks .. 14. Sampling Media, Data Types and Investigation Tools .. 15. Sampling Rationale and Design .. 16. Sampling and Analysis Methods and Quality Assurance Project Plan .. 18. Conduct the Field Investigation Program Conventional Phased Approach and Expedited site Assessment 19. Validate and Interpret Data .. 21. Resources and Weblinks .. 23. References .. 23. 3 QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL .. 25. Quality Assurance Project 25. Data Quality Indicators .. 27. Quality Control .. 28. Quality Control Checks and Samples .. 28. Recommended Minimum Frequency of Quality Control 29. Data Quality Targets .. 29. Duplicate Samples .. 30. Reporting of 31. References .. 31. 4 CONCEPTUAL site MODEL FOR CONTAMINATED 32. Contamination Sources and Types .. 33. volume 1: Guidance Manual iii Overview .. 33. Common Types of Contamination .. 33. Non-Point Sources of Contamination.

6 34. Emergent or Less Common Chemicals .. 37. Conceptual site Model for LNAPL and DNAPL Characterization .. 37. Conceptual site Model for Groundwater 39. Partitioning .. 40. Unsaturated Zone Chemical Transport .. 41. Groundwater Contaminant Transport .. 42. Considerations for Fractured Bedrock .. 44. Considerations for 45. Conceptual site Model for Soil Characterization .. 45. Conceptual site Model for Soil Vapour .. 49. Contamination Sources .. 50. Chemical Transfer to Vapour Phase (Volatilization) .. 51. Vadose Zone Fate and Transport Processes .. 53. Near-Building Processes for Soil Vapour Intrusion .. 55. Summary .. 55. Conceptual site Scenarios for Vapour Intrusion .. 56. Resources, References and Links .. 64. Conceptual site Model for Surface Water Characterization .. 64. Study Area and Reference Area 66. Conceptual site Model for Sediment Characterization .. 68. Conceptual site Model for Biological Characterization .. 71. References .. 73. 5 SOIL Characterization Guidance .

7 76. Context, Purpose and Scope .. 76. Conceptual site Model for Soil Characterization .. 77. Soil Sampling 78. Representative Sampling Challenges .. 79. Sampling Design Strategies .. 81. Statistical Methods for Sampling Design .. 85. Discrete and Composite Samples .. 88. Investigation Soil Sampling Methods .. 89. Field Analytical Methods .. 92. Headspace Vapour 93. Colourimetric Tests .. 94. Immunoassay Tests .. 94. X-ray fluorescence (XRF).. 96. Field Preservation of Soil Samples for VOC Analysis .. 97. Methods for Data Interpretation .. 98. volume 1: Guidance Manual iv Statistical Data Analysis for Soil Characterization .. 99. Non-Detect Values .. 101. Statistical Approach to Characterizing Contaminated Soil .. 101. Data Presentation and Reporting .. 102. Resources and Weblinks .. 102. References .. 104. 6 GROUNDWATER Characterization Guidance .. 110. Purpose, Background and Need .. 110. Obtaining Representative Samples from the Well .. 111. Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs).

8 115. Conceptual site Models for Groundwater Characterization .. 115. Approach and Sampling 116. Intrusive Field Program for Groundwater Characterization .. 117. Addressing the Issue of Scale .. 118. Acquiring Groundwater Quality Information .. 119. Available Technologies .. 120. Direct-Push Technologies for Groundwater Characterization .. 122. Acquiring Hydrogeologic Information .. 125. Groundwater Flow Direction .. 125. Groundwater Velocity .. 126. Monitoring and Monitoring Networks .. 128. Well Screen Length and Well Completion Intervals .. 128. Horizontal Spacing of Data 131. Vertical Spacing of Data Points .. 134. Field and Laboratory Data Acquisition .. 134. Well Development .. 135. Well Purging and Sampling .. 135. Field Laboratories .. 138. Special Considerations .. 138. Selection of Analytical Tests .. 140. Data Validation and Quality Assurance/Quality Control .. 140. Well Abandonment .. 141. Data Assessment and Interpretation .. 141. Conceptual site Model Development.

9 141. Data Presentation and Reporting .. 142. Modelling Issues .. 143. References .. 144. 7 SOIL VAPOUR 145. Context, Purpose and Scope .. 145. Conceptual site Model for Soil Vapour Characterization .. 146. Study Objectives .. 146. volume 1: Guidance Manual v Soil Vapour Sampling Approach and Design .. 147. Overview of Sampling Strategy .. 147. Soil Vapour Sampling Locations in Relation to Conceptual site Model .. 148. Recommendations for Soil Vapour Sampling Locations .. 152. When to Sample and Sampling Frequency .. 154. Biodegradation Assessment for Aerobically Degrading Hydrocarbons .. 155. Soil Vapour Probe Construction and Installation .. 156. Probes Installed in 156. Probes Installed Using Direct Push Technology .. 158. Driven Probes .. 158. Use of Water Table Monitoring Wells as Soil Vapour Probes .. 159. Subslab Soil Vapour Probes .. 160. Probe Materials .. 160. Decontamination of Sampling Materials and Equipment .. 161. Soil Vapour Sampling Procedures.

10 161. Soil Vapour Probe Development and Equilibration .. 162. Flow and Vacuum (Probe Performance) Check .. 162. Leak Testing of Probes and Sampling Trains .. 162. Sampling Container or 163. Sample Probe Purging and Sampling .. 164. Soil Vapour Analysis .. 167. Selection of Method .. 167. Field Detectors .. 168. Field Laboratory Analysis .. 170. Fixed Laboratory Analysis .. 171. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Considerations .. 175. Soil and Groundwater Characterization .. 178. Groundwater 178. Soil Data .. 179. Ancillary Data .. 180. Data Interpretation and Analysis .. 182. Data Organization and Reporting .. 182. Data Quality Analysis .. 183. Data Consistency Analysis .. 184. Further 184. Resources and Weblinks .. 185. References .. 185. 8 INDOOR AIR QUALITY TESTING FOR EVALUATION OF SOIL. VAPOUR INTRUSION .. 193. Context, Purpose and Scope .. 193. Conceptual site Model for Indoor Air .. 194. volume 1: Guidance Manual vi Background Indoor Air 195.