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In‐Line Measurement of Trichloroethylene Vapors Using Tin Dioxide Sensors
Author(s) -
Heron G.,
Zutphen M.,
Enfield C. G.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
groundwater monitoring and remediation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-6592
pISSN - 1069-3629
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6592.1998.tb00170.x
Subject(s) - trichloroethylene , tin dioxide , methane , moisture , volatile organic compound , water vapor , environmental remediation , vapor pressure , water content , volatilisation , environmental chemistry , soil water , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , humidity , environmental science , materials science , contamination , soil science , composite material , thermodynamics , ecology , geotechnical engineering , physics , organic chemistry , engineering , biology
During thermally enhanced in situ remediation of soils and ground water, gas streams are generated with varying temperatures, moisture content, and organic compound concentrations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of tin dioxide sensors for measuring trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations in gas streams from a thermally enhanced soil vapor extraction system. Temperature, pressure, moisture content, and vapor flow rates affected the resistivity of the sensors, and thus the signal. When fluctuations in these parameters were eliminated by condensing excess water and healing to a constant temperature prior to measurement, the sensors provided reliable in‐line measurement of TCE concentrations. Gas tracers such as methane were easily monitored in‐line, providing quick and inexpensive data on subsurface vapor flow velocities and direction.