Proof-of-concept study of an aerobic vapor migration barrier beneath a building at a petroleum hydrocarbon-impacted site

A proof-of-concept study was conducted to evaluate an alternative to traditional extraction-based subslab vapor mitigation systems at sites with petroleum hydrocarbon and/or methane vapor impact concerns. The system utilizes the slow delivery of air beneath a foundation to attenuate vapor migration to the building via aerobic biodegradation. The study was conducted at a site having elevated hydrocarbon plus methane and depleted O₂ vapor concentrations (160 mg/L and <1% v/v, respectively) beneath a building having a 195 m² footprint and a basement extending 1.5 m below ground surface (BGS). Nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)-impacted soils, first encountered at about 7.6 to 9.1 m BGS, were the source of hydrocarbon and methane vapors, with the latter being generated by anaerobic methanagenesis of the former. O₂ concentrations beneath and around the building were monitored prior to and during air injection through a horizontal well installed about 1.5 m beneath the foundation. The air injection rate was increased from 1 to 5 to 10 L/min, with each held steady until the O₂ distribution stabilized (46-60 d). The 10 L/min flow rate achieved >5% v/v soil gas O₂ concentrations beneath the foundation and spanning a 1.5 m vertical interval. It was within 3× of the pretest stoichiometric requirement estimate of 3.8 L/min. This resulted in reductions in subslab hydrocarbon plus methane concentrations from 80 to <0.01 mg/L and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) reductions to below detection limits (0.5-0.74 ppb_v). This air injection rate is <1% of flows for typical extraction-based mitigation systems.