Full Description

Although permeation and sorption of organicsolvents in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe materialshave been studied, no research has sufficientlydocumented pipe susceptibility to permeation inthe contaminated subsurface environment. Thisstudy investigated the permeation of organic contaminantsthrough PVC pipe via the vapor andaqueous phases.The authors used pipe-bottle tests, gravimetricsorption tests, and microscopic visualizationtests to study the permeation of benzene, toluene,and trichloroethylene through 1-in. PVCpipe from vapor and aqueous phases. Test resultsshow that PVC pipe materials are an effectivebarrier against the permeation of benzene, toluene,ethylbenzene, and xylenes in either gasoline-saturatedvapors or gasoline-saturated groundwaterat typical contaminated sites.These findings provide a basis for predictingthe threshold contamination level at whichPVC pipes would be susceptible to permeationif exposed to the vapors or aqueous solutionsof organic compounds. Utilities and regulatorscan use this information to make decisionsabout replacing their PVC pipes in contaminatedareas. Includes 15 references, figures.

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Edition: Vol. 101 - No. 5 Published: 05/01/2009 Number of Pages: 9 File Size: 1 file , 690 KB