Ambient monitoring of volatile organic compounds at Los Alamos National Laboratory in technical area 54, areas G and L. Final report

摘要

Ambient air monitoring for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was conducted at TA-54 to characterize non-radioactive air emissions to determine if the Laboratory's waste operations are releasing significant amounts of VOCs to the ambient environment. Samples were collected at four locations along the northern fenceline (dominant downwind side) of Areas G & L and at a background site located in Bandelier National Monument. Eight-hour integrated samples were collected in evacuated canisters during daylight hours on each of eight days during the summer of 1994, for a total of 40 samples. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography following EPA Method TO-14 for a target list of 68 analytes. In general, about two dozen volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in each sample, including those collected at the background site, but the concentration levels were very low (e.g.;