| Title: |
CLU-IN Vapor Intrusion Issue Area
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| Resource Type: |
web links
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| Producers or distributor |
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
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| Author / Producer Type: |
Agency, regulator or other governmental or inter-governmental body
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| Web link for product information: |
http://clu-in.org/vi
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EUGRIS Keyword(s): |
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Exposure pathways
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| Long description: |
Vapor intrusion occurs when volatile chemicals migrate from contaminated groundwater or soil into a building. Volatile chemicals can emit vapors that may migrate through the subsurface and into indoor air spaces of overlying and nearby buildings in ways similar to that of radon gas seeping into homes. Most volatile chemicals are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but some semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), such as petroleum products, and inorganic constituents, such as elemental mercury and radon, can emit vapors leading to vapor intrusion. In extreme cases, the vapors may accumulate in homes and other occupied buildings to levels that may pose near-term safety hazards (e.g., explosion), acute health effects, or odor problems. Typically, however, the chemical concentration levels with vapor intrusion are low, and the odor unnoticeable. In buildings with low concentrations of volatile chemicals, the main concern is whether or not the chemicals pose an unacceptable risk of chronic health effects due to long-term exposure to these low levels. A complicating factor in evaluating the potential risk from chemical exposure due to vapor intrusion is the common presence of some of the same chemicals from sources with the building (e.g., household solvents and paints, gasoline, drycleaned clothing, and cleaning agents) that may pose, separately or in combination with vapor intrusion, a significant human health risk.
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Submitted By:
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Professor Paul Bardos WhoDoesWhat?
Last update: 03/10/2011
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