I.B.Brenner, Environmental Analytical Laboratory, Malkha, Jerusalem, Israel

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and mass spectrometry (ICP-AES and ICP-MS) is widely employed for compliant determination of trace, minor, and even major element constituents in all water, and liquid and solid wastes - from natural surface and ground water to industrial effluents and toxic solid wastes.  Owing to the excellent analytical characteristics these instrumental, standard operating procedures and performance-based methods have been specified by regulatory agencies.  

In this one-day short course we will describe the application of ICP-AES and MS for analysis of waters, wastes waters and related solid wastes using EPA 200.7, EPA 200.8, EPA 200.5 and SW 846 (6010C and 6020A). The course will commence with an overview of requirements for sampling and sample delivery including, sampling plans, site documents, health hazards, and chain of custody procedures. The course will review sample preservation, types of containers, reagents for preservation and holding times.  

QA/QC requirements of the analytical figures of merit will be detailed and compared (instrument and method limits of detection, minimum limits of determination, multielement calibration and calibration stabilities (CCV, ICV) linear dynamic ranges, and compensating for spectroscopic and nonspectroscopic interferences using spiked and certified standards.

The various sample preparation schemes provided by the EPA (membrane filtration, open vessel digestion and microwave decomposition will be detailed in terms of recoveries, contamination, sample throughput and cost.

The course will also deal with ISO17025 requirements and the need to determine analytical uncertainties  

2)  In-Situ Chemical Oxidation Workshop

Brenda Veronda, Carus Chemical Company
William B. Kerfoot, Kerfoot Technologies, Inc., Mashpee, MA
Jim Wilson, GeoCleanse International
Phillip Block, FMC Corporation  

To provide up-to-date information on in-situ chemical oxidation, this workshop combines vendor presentations with professional consultant experience.  Major oxidants to be considered are:

• Permanganate – MnO₄¯
• Persulfate – S₂O₈² ¯
• Fenton’s Reagent
• Ozone – O₃, Perozone – O₃/H₂O₂

In-situ chemical oxidation using ozone, Perozone®, Fenton’s Reagent, persulfate, permanganate or combinations can be an effective innovative technology for destroying organic contaminants within the ground water aquifer where they occur.  Each oxidant requires certain design considerations for proper application.  This workshop concentrates on the following topics:

• Oxidant chemistry principles
• Available oxidants/compound stoichiometry
• Oxidant selection/site characterization
• Laboratory bench-scale tests
• Field pilot tests
• Regulatory concerns
• Case histories and time to closure

Presentations will be made by vendors who supply equipment and consulting firms with specific site experience.  Case studies will be presented where design and operational issues will be discussed.

3) Theory and Use of Field Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Soil Analysis

Robert Schleicher, Laura Stupi and Martin Mastovich, Thermo Fisher Scientific NITON Analyzers, Billerica, MA

This workshop will cover the application of field-portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometry to soil analysis.  We begin with basic theory of x-ray fluorescence and an overview of the applications for this method of chemical analysis.  This will be followed by a discussion of the instrumentation along with elements of radiation safety.   Statistical aspects of the measurements will be discussed.  Finally, an overview and discussion of EPA SW-846 Method 6200 will be presented.  Hands on use of the instruments will be promoted through several practical exercises.

4) The 2007 MCP Audit – A Case Study Approach 

Thomas M. Potter, Section Chief, Audit Coordinator, MA DEP, Boston, MA 
Maria Pinaud, Section Chief, Compliance and Enforcement Coordinator, MA DEP, Boston, MA

Using case studies in a small-group environment, participants will run through the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) audit process from MassDEP’s perspective, from review of submittals to development of a Notice of Audit Finding (NOAF).  The class will spend the first two hours reviewing and discussing the case studies (redacted submittals from MassDEP files) while answering a list of questions and filling out a Level 1 Audit Form.  This review will familiarize attendees with the details and technical issues of the case studies and will examine issues regarding MCP compliance. 

In the final two hours, the class will be divided into small groups (10 – 15 people) giving all attendees the opportunity to participate in the discussion and development of a hypothetical audit finding.  Each group will then conduct an “audit” of their site.  At the conclusion, a discussion of lessons learned will be summarized and the actual NOAF issued by MassDEP will be distributed and reviewed.  Due to the “small group” format of this training program, participation will be limited to no more than 30 Attendees.   

5) “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”: Avoiding Pitfalls in Environmental Sampling  

Robert Johnson, Ph.D, Argonne National Laboratory, and Deana Crumbling, US EPA

This workshop will explain the fundamental mismatch between common (classical) statistics and its assumptions vs. the nature of chemically contaminated environmental media.  For example, common statistical approaches assume that contamination is randomly and uniformly distributed at the spatial scales typical for sample collection and chemical analysis.  Data from case examples will show this is not the case.  When the effects of heterogeneity are not controlled, misleading data can be the result with the possibility of leading to faulty decision-making.  Other limitations of classical statistics for determining sample numbers and locations will be reviewed, along with consideration of common questions, such as “What is the ‘gray region’ and how do I set it?” and “How do I know if a sample is ‘representative’?”  

The importance of conceptual site models (CSMs) and “sample support” for effective sampling design will be emphasized.  A good understanding of the CSM and the specifics for how regulatory thresholds will be applied is required BEFORE a sampling plan can be designed.  Real-time data generation is an important strategy since it supports gathering higher densities of data from the most informative locations, thereby reducing the likelihood of non-representative data.  Armed with this information, the participant will be able to decide when classical statistics is appropriate for the task at hand, and how to adapt classical statistical designs to improve their performance.   Finally, the course will provide an overview of sampling design alternatives that are better suited to deal with the difficulties posed when generating data from real-world matrices.

A CD-ROM with the PPT slides and various resources will be provided to participants.  

6) Evaluating Monitored Natural Attenuation of MTBE and TBA

Peter Zeeb, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., Acton, MA
Xiaomin Yang, Atlantic Richfield, Warrenville, IL
George DeVaull, Shell Global Solutions (US), Inc., Houston, TX
Kevin Finneran , University of Illinois , Urbana , IL

The American Petroleum Institute has recently published a MNA protocol for MTBE and TBA. This workshop will provide participants with an overview of the new protocol and best practices for implementing monitored natural attenuation at sites where petroleum hydrocarbons and fuel oxygenates have impacted ground water. The latest findings on aerobic and anaerobic oxygenate biodegradation will also be addressed, as well as the methods used to assess biodegradation such as in-situ microcosms / bio-Sep beads, Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (e.g.,  stable carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation, etc.). 

7)  Environmental Forensic Techniques for Classic and Emerging Contaminants

Ioana G. Petrisor, Ph.D., Haley & Aldrich, San Diego , CA
Helder J. Costa, Ph.D., Haley & Aldrich, Inc., Boston , MA
Michael J. Wade, Ph.D., Wade Research, Inc., Marshfield , MA
Jean Christophe Balouet, Ph.D., Environmental International, Le Perreux-sur-Marne , France

In the merging field of Environmental Forensics, information and techniques from a variety of unrelated scientific disciplines are usually required to establish pollution sources/age and manage site liabilities.

The current workshop will present the general principles of environmental forensic investigations focusing on the application of forensic techniques for several main environmental contaminants both classic and emerging. In particular, we will present forensic investigation case studies related to petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, chlorinated solvents, MTBE and perchlorate. We will discuss different steps of a successful forensic study, starting with the review of fingerprinting techniques available and finishing with data interpretation and correlation of independent lines of evidence.   

Several classic and emerging forensic techniques will also be discussed including: chemical and isotopic fingerprinting, diagnostic ratios, statistic and geographic evaluations, signature compounds as well as dendroecology (using tree rings to track environmental contamination). An analytical testing approach will be described for investigation of a release of new jet fuel suspected of mixing into a jet fuel release documented to have occurred 10 years previous. Newly-developed chemical indices were calculated to determine the degree of similarity among samples analyzed. Different diagnostic ratios and specific fingerprinting techniques for PAHs will also be discussed. The combination of physical-chemical properties of contamination with their fate and transport and real field data will also be presented as applied for solving MTBE source identification for several case studies. Finally, the use of tree rings to age-date and characterize releases of fuel oil and chlorinated solvents will also be reviewed.  

8) Environmental Fate of Hydrocarbons in Soils and Groundwater

James Dragun, Ph.D., The Dragun Corporation, Farmington Hills, MI

This course will cover predicting bulk hydrocarbon migration, the extent of absorption of organic chemicals, chemical volatility in soil, organic chemical reaction rates and rates of organic chemicals in soils.   The information will be presented in the context of site remediation, site disposal facilities, and analyzing chemical releases, as well as auditing closures of industrial facilities.

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