True Grit - True Costs, True True Grit - True Costs, True Needs and Other Realities of Needs and Other Realities of Long-Term MonitoringLong-Term Monitoring

Joe Rossabi, Ph.DJoe Rossabi, Ph.D

Savannah River Technical CenterSavannah River Technical Center

Roger Jenkins, Ph.DRoger Jenkins, Ph.D

Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge National Laboratory

The Field is a Dirty, Messy The Field is a Dirty, Messy PlacePlace

Surface waters can be contaminated

Monitoring wells may not bethe cleanest places.

You May Not be the Only You May Not be the Only Game in TownGame in Town

It May Not be It May Not be the Moon, but the Moon, but You Might have You Might have to Dress Like It to Dress Like It IsIs

Size MattersSize Matters

You can’t put a 4” diameter probein a 4” monitoring well.

Don’t Forget the Arrhenius Don’t Forget the Arrhenius Law of Reaction RatesLaw of Reaction Rates

It isn’t always blue sky, It isn’t always blue sky, sunshine, and 65°sunshine, and 65°

Thunderstorms

Tornados

Lightning

Biggest problem: heat

The Field Environment is The Field Environment is NOT a ZooNOT a Zoo

MammalsDeer, groundhogs

ReptilesPoisonous Snakes

Eastern timber rattlesnake Copperhead

Birds:Canadagoose

You are always on SOME You are always on SOME Critter’s Food ChainCritter’s Food Chain

Arachnids:Spiders, scorpions

Yellowjacket Wasp

Black Widow Brown RecluseNote violin marking

Bird Poop is One of the Most Bird Poop is One of the Most Corrosive Substances Known to Corrosive Substances Known to ManMan

It’s a Jungle Out There!!It’s a Jungle Out There!!

Kangaroo Rats and Chipmunks are Cute, Kangaroo Rats and Chipmunks are Cute, but will YOUR wiring become THEIR Nest Material?but will YOUR wiring become THEIR Nest Material?

Technology developers Technology developers analyze randomized samples analyze randomized samples

under field conditions.under field conditions.

Samples are collected, homogenized, labeled, and assembled for distribution.

Product is report and verification statement.

Experimental Plan

Statisticians

Chemists

Project Officers

Stakeholders

Overview of Environmental Technology Verification Overview of Environmental Technology Verification ProcessProcess

Developers

Observations from Observations from NewbiesNewbies

It’s hot! It’s cold! It’s It’s hot! It’s cold! It’s raining!raining!

Boy, the humidity must be Boy, the humidity must be 100%!100%!

It’s a long way to the It’s a long way to the bathroom!bathroom!

These soil samples aren’t These soil samples aren’t like the one’s we looked at like the one’s we looked at in the lab.in the lab.

Boy, we’ve never actually Boy, we’ve never actually tested this in the FIELD tested this in the FIELD before.before.

Baseline - Well Sampling Baseline - Well Sampling and Analysisand Analysis Field Person - 4 wells/day ($300-500)Field Person - 4 wells/day ($300-500)

Find wellFind well, purge well, deal with waste., purge well, deal with waste. Collect samples, Collect samples, coolpack samplescoolpack samples, ,

shipship.. Laboratory ($50-$1000)Laboratory ($50-$1000)

ReceiveReceive, full COC analysis, , full COC analysis, QAQA, Report, Report Office Person(s) ($xxx?)Office Person(s) ($xxx?)

QA results, enter in database, ReportQA results, enter in database, Report

Economic Analysis can be Economic Analysis can be RevealingRevealing

PCB in Soil Tube AssayEnviroLogix Inc.

Sample throughput: 7-8 samples/hour

Cost category Cost ($)

EPA SW-846 Method 8081Reference laboratory

Typical turnaround time: 14–30 daysActual turnaround time: 72 days

Cost category Cost ($)

Sample shipment 0

Labor Mobilization/demobilization 250–400 Travel 15–1000 per analyst Per diem 0–150 per day per analyst Rate 30–75 per hour per analyst

Equipment Mobilization/demobilization 0–150 Purchase field lab kit 965–1975 Reagents/supplies 18 per sample

Waste disposal 135–1790

Approximate cost to analyze 150 samples: $5810 b

Sample shipment Labor 100–200 Overnight shipping charges 50–150

Labor Mobilization/demobilization Included a a

Travel Included Per diem Included Rate 44–239 per sample

Equipment Mobilization/demobilization Included Purchase field lab kit Included Reagents/supplies Included

Waste disposal Included

Approximate cost to analyze 150 samples: $6610a “Included” indicates that the cost is included in the labor rate.b Assumes operator is located on-site and does not incur travel expenses.

Scenarios for Long Term Scenarios for Long Term MonitoringMonitoring

Culture, power available, Culture, power available, unprotectedunprotected

Doing groundwatermonitoring in the neighborhood is notas easy as it sounds

Scenarios for Long Term Scenarios for Long Term Monitoring Monitoring (continued ….)(continued ….)

Culture, power available, fenced, Culture, power available, fenced, high density of wells or pointshigh density of wells or points

Scenarios for Long Term Scenarios for Long Term Monitoring Monitoring (continued ….)(continued ….)

Culture, power available, fenced, low density Culture, power available, fenced, low density of wells or pointsof wells or points

Scenarios for Long Term Scenarios for Long Term Monitoring Monitoring (continued ….)(continued ….)

Remote, fenced or unfenced.Remote, fenced or unfenced.

Is it Hype, Hope, Is it Hype, Hope, Vaporware, or the Real Vaporware, or the Real Deal?Deal?

Tricorder VaporLab

Be honest with yourself and others as to how far along the technology is in its development cycle.

Other Site IssuesOther Site Issues

Costs - Costs - Samples - how many, how oftenSamples - how many, how often Capital and O&M costs of new technologyCapital and O&M costs of new technology

Philosophy - Is point sampling good Philosophy - Is point sampling good enough?enough?

Humans -Humans - How will technicians, scientists/engineers, How will technicians, scientists/engineers,

regulators, lawyers interface with regulators, lawyers interface with technologytechnology

Market Issues for Market Issues for TechnologiesTechnologies

Environmental measurements Environmental measurements generally not sustaininggenerally not sustaining

Process technologies and Process technologies and crossovers have been most crossovers have been most successful, examples …successful, examples …

Some niche markets, e.g., Some niche markets, e.g., cheap access -Geoprobe,...cheap access -Geoprobe,...

Having Said all that...Having Said all that...

Cheap, fast measurementsCheap, fast measurements Process-like activitiesProcess-like activities

clusters of wells, many clusters of wells, many measurements, remediationsmeasurements, remediations

Remote sitesRemote sites Monitoring as continued Monitoring as continued

characterizationcharacterization plume and process understandingplume and process understanding

Also:Also: indicator/surrogate species, indicator/surrogate species,

micropurging, sane waste micropurging, sane waste management practicesmanagement practices