University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Optimal Time for Collecting Volatile Organic Chemical Samples from Slowly Recovering Wells

Chou, Sheng-Fu J.; Herzog, Beverly L.; Valkenburg, John R.; Griffin, Robert A.

Content Files
RR-058.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/25573

Description

Title
Optimal Time for Collecting Volatile Organic Chemical Samples from Slowly Recovering Wells
Author(s)
  • Chou, Sheng-Fu J.
  • Herzog, Beverly L.
  • Valkenburg, John R.
  • Griffin, Robert A.
Issue Date
1991
Keyword(s)
  • Water -- Pollution -- Measurement
  • Groundwater -- Illinois -- Sampling
Date of Ingest
2011-06-29T15:59:32Z
Abstract
Determining the optimum time to sample slowly recovering wells for volatile organic compounds was the objective of this research. Three hundred samples from 11 wells finished in fine-grained glacial tills were analyzed for up to 19 volatile organic compounds. Each well was sampled before purging, and at intervals up to 48 hours after well purging. This combination of purging and sampling was conducted three to five times on each well. Samples were collected with dedicated point-source PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) bailers equipped with bottom~emptying devices designed for collecting samples for volatile organic chemical analysis. The wells were easily evacuated with a bailer because they were finished, at depths less than 40 feet, in materials with hydraulic conductivities of between 1 x1 0-6 and 7x10-5 cm/sec. Results of the volatile organic chemical analyses were examined using a general linear model and the Tukey honestly significant difference test to determine whether the changes in chemical concentrations with time after purging were statistically significant. At the 95% confidence level, there was no significant difference in concentrations in samples collected any time after well purging; however, samples collected 4 hours after purging had slightly higher concentrations than samples collected earlier or later during well recovery. Concentrations of volatile organics were significantly lower before purging than after purging. Samples collected before purging and 24 hours after purging also were analyzed to determine whether purging affected nonvolatile organic compounds. The results were analyzed using the pairwise Hest on the concentration data. This test showed that concentrations were statistically greater after purging.
Publisher
Champaign, IL : Hazardous Waste Reseach and Information Center
Series/Report Name or Number
  • RR Series (Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center) ; 058
  • Environmental Geology (Illinois State Geological Survey) ; 142
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
Report (Grant or Annual)
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/25573
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center ; Project Number HWR 86019

Owning Collections

RR Series - Illinois Sustainable Technology Center PRIMARY
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center RR Series
Environmental Geology - Illinois State Geological Survey