Vapor Intrusion is the result of chemical vapors, particularly semi-volatile or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) migrating from contaminated soil or groundwater, and impacting the indoor air of overlying buildings. These chemical vapors can leak into openings in cracked foundations, basements or sewer lines. They can also migrate through the floor slab, depending on the identified compounds.
Vapor can sometimes migrate further than soil or groundwater, and therefore pose a greater human health risk due to the prevalence of the vapor interaction and the difficulty of avoiding exposure. The identification of a vapor intrusion may also result in safety hazards as well as a decrease in property value and/or remediation or mitigation for a property to be viable and habitable.
PM Environmental consultants are experts in completing vapor intrusion assessments and due diligence activities to identify potential or knows sources of vapor intrusion. Our team performs soil, groundwater, soil gas and/or indoor air assessments to determine if vapor intrusion standards are met, or if further evaluation, remediation, or mitigation is necessary.
PM has success in mitigating vapor intrusion on a variety of projects through the installation of Vapor Barriers, which is typical for new construction, and with Sub-Slab Depressurization Systems, which are common mitigation systems for existing construction.