Transfer of volatile compounds from soil : comparison between predictions and field measurements with different models ; development of the volasoil model for a depleting source
Abstract
Soil vapour migration into buildings, and subsequent inhalation, are often the main exposure pathway to humans at sites contaminated with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). For such sites, the quantification of pollutant concentrations in the indoor air is essential while assessing risks for the human health. Modeling is often necessary, for example in the view of future situations, but also in combination with site measurements. The Johnson & Ettinger and VOLASOIL models are the two models mainly used in Europe to predict indoor air concentrations. The validation of these models is still incomplete, beyond some global verification of indoor air concentrations: step by step measurements for a detailed model calibration and "validation" hardly exist in the literature, and predictions of indoor air concentrations from different models sometimes vary by several orders of magnitude. Verifying and improving vapour intrusion models is necessary for a better risk estimation and subsequent site management. Besides, the VOLASOIL model does not represent the depletion of the source due to the volatilization, beyond an overall mass control; this may result in over-conservative estimates of indoor air concentrations, for example when a VOC source is near the soil surface
Origin : Files produced by the author(s)
Loading...