RemScan Quick Calibration Method
A quick calibration method for Accurate TPH analysis in soil at remote sites without the need for laboratory analysis has been developed for RemScan.
Industry standard practice for measuring Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil involves sending soil samples to an off-site laboratory for analysis by GC-FID (US EPA Method 3510⁄8015). This process is time consuming (5−10 days) and costly (~100 USD/sample) and is not suitable for remote sites.
RemScan is a hand-held infrared instrument that measures TPH in soil in 20 seconds, with a similar accuracy to laboratory analysis. This ISO14034 verified technology is ideal for remediation and excavation activities at remote sites where real-time decisions can lead to significant cost savings.
While RemScan is a proven technology (Webster et al., 2016; Forrester et al., 2013) and is operating at many sites worldwide (Stewart et al., 2017), a site-specific calibration needs to be built for optimal accuracy. This calibration requirement can restrict the application of the technology at remote sites.
This paper that was presented at NEMC 2018 (National Environmental Monitoring Conference) in New Orleans LA, USA presents a new method that allows the site-specific calibration process to be completed on-site within 1 – 2 days with no requirement for GC analysis.