Field Screening of Polycyclic Hydrocarbon Contamination in Soil Using a PortableSynchronous Scanning Spectrofluorometer

摘要

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination is a considerable problem atvarious hazardous waste sites. Sources of PAH contamination include: incomplete combustion processes, wood preservatives, and the fuel industry. The development of rapid, cost-effective field screening techniques to identify potential PAH contamination could result in improved remediation efficiency. We have recently developed a portable spectrofluorometer for screening potential PAH contaminants at field sites using the synchronous fluorescence approach. The portable spectrofluorometer was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. EPA and recently field tested at the American Creosote Works Superfund Site in Jackson, Tennessee. The unit demonstrated the capability for screening PAH contamination in soil samples and also provided fingerprint identification of specific groups of contaminants. Hot spots could be readily identified on-site following measurements performed in 10-15 minutes.