Carbonaceous Resin Capsule for Vapor-phase Monitoring of Volatile Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil

Abstract

Soil and groundwater contamination by organic substances is a major environmental and health concern, but methods of direct, in situ evaluation of quantities and forms of these contaminants are generally highly limited. The resin capsule system (RCS) has been developed for use in the laboratory or in the field for inorganic chemicals, and its application has been extended to include organic chemicals by incorporation of carbonaceous, hydrophobic adsorbers in the capsules. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of carbonaceous resin capsules for detecting benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) vapors diffusing through a soil column, and to investigate sensitivity to environmental factors that influence vapor phase diffusion. Results show that the RCS can serve as a trap for organic vapors, and that quantities of BTEX accumulated are influenced by soil texture and water content during extended adsorption times. The nature of these effects, as measured by the RCS, was similar to expectations, based on previously reported results from studies involving direct measurements. These results provide evidence that the RCS could be developed to serve as a simple, inexpensive, direct, in situ methodology for monitoring volatile organic chemicals in soils.