Vapor Mitigation Systems

Radon Environmental has remediated both residential and commercial structures that have been contaminated with VOC’s such as Benzene, Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchlorethylene (PCE). In most cases, we have been able to lower the ambient levels of these pollutants to below the sub chronic indoor air levels mandated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. According to IDEM, there are over 300 dry cleaner sites in the State of Indiana currently contaminated with TCE or PCE. These are in addition to an unknown number of sites contaminated by factories, farms and commercial businesses. In conjunction with numerous Environmental Consultants, R.E.I. certified technicians have successfully installed Vapor Mitigation Systems in not only Indiana, but in the states of Michigan, and Ohio.  Our projects have included not only the contaminated sites of dry cleaners and gas stations, but surrounding homes, businesses, and even high rise facilities.  We also specialize in preparing vapor mitigation systems for new construction sites over contaminated soil.  We are proud to serve the Mid-West in combating this serious environmental issue.

Once high levels of chemical vapors has been found in a property or surrounding neighborhood, usually a former dry cleaner site, or gas station, some type of remediation is required to solve the contamination.  We highly recommend Air Pressure Field Diagnostics as a means to appropriately design mitigation systems to help lower the VOCs in the contaminated sites.  Air pressure field diagnostics is a process of discovering the air pressure measurements under the slab of a building.  To perform this type of diagnostic testing, R.E.I uses micro manometers to measure the air pressure.  Most facilities will have some type of positive pressure, with air being forced up through the slab due to the natural stack effect, or HVAC system.  Air pressure field diagnostics entails core drilling a suction point in the slab, and systematically drilling tiny test holes throughout the slab.  Once the holes are drilled, a micro manometer is connected to each test hole to provide an air pressure reading.  A fan unit is then connected to the cored pit, and turned on to see the field extension, or the achieved negative pressure measurement under the slab.  The filed extension of the fan will determine the mitigation system design and quantity of systems needed to properly pull air under the entire slab of the building.  The mitigation system design includes, quantity of systems needed, fan model, number of suction points in the slab, vent stack size, and routing of the PVC vent stack.

Mitigation costs for vapor intrusion vary significantly from radon due to increased requirements for environmental insurance coverage as well as standard industry practices.