Vapour Intrusion Analysis

Vapour intrusion pathway poses an unacceptable risk to human health and has received increased attention recently. Vapour intrusion is defined as the migration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the subsurface into overlying buildings. VOCs present in contaminated soil or groundwater can emit vapors that may migrate through subsurface soil into buildings through cracks in foundation, basement walls, or pipe lines. Such vapour intrusion can affect the indoor air quality and cause potential chronic health risks due to long term exposure of the chemical vapours.

Sources

Vapour intrusion into buildings can occur from contamination of soil and groundwater, which may happen due to leaks from underground storage tanks, pipe lines, contaminated soil gas, or surface spills. For example, petroleum fuel can leak from subsurface storage tanks at gas stations; run off from landfills and spill from a train derailment can contribute to contaminant contents in the soil.

Possible signs of Vapour Intrusion:

• Unknown chemical odour in the basement
• Health issues (eye, throat and skin irritations; headaches, allergic reactions)

CASSEN Provides the testing of the following common analytical packages: