Bound Brook, NJ
The Problem:
A 6 month Pilot remediation project was conducted on a lagoon (impoundment) located on a 400+ acre superfund site. The lagoon contained thousands of gallons of liquid and sludge with high concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi VOCs and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). The plan was to superheat the liquid in place, 24/7, in a closed system and convey the resulting gas to a thermal oxidizer located adjacent to the lagoon for complete destruction. This pilot project was being conducted near a public park, an active rail line, various commercial buildings, residential homes and an interstate highway. There was a concern by the EPA that there may be a release of VOCs, specifically benzene, and H2S during the pilot operation. The EPA wanted an effective and efficient way to measure potential emissions from the lagoon and the pilot operation at the parts-per-billion (ppb) level. These measurements had to be taken simultaneously, and in real-time, at many locations throughout the site.
Our Solution:
Emilcott Technologies installed ten air monitoring stations using a Photoionization Detector (PID), H2S monitor and Greenlight Benzene monitor at strategic locations around the lagoon and near sensitive receptors (e.g. commercial building, rail line and highway). The system was designed to operate automatically and to be monitored remotely eliminating the need for onsite personnel. Data from all the monitoring stations were integrated as part of the Greenlight Environmental Monitoring System™ with three wind speed and direction sensors. The results were streamed live to project personnel and the EPA. The air sampling system sent out alerts and notifications. The system effectively measured fugitive VOCs, Benzene and H2S down to 3.0 ppb. The data collected by Greenlight™ provided evidence this remedial technology could be implemented safely without negatively impacting the surrounding community. A separate detector system was used to monitor exhaust gas from the thermal oxidizer for TVOCs and H2S.
The Results:
The air monitoring system operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for over 6 months. Over 500,000 TVOC, Benzene and H2S samples have been taken with 96% uptime. The Greenlight Benzene Monitoring System effectively screened for benzene in real-time when TVOC readings exceeded 1,000 ppb replacing the need for using a gas chromatograph in the field