Application of a Thermally Assisted Soil Gas (T.A.S.G.) Probe and Multiple Sampling Manifold for the Analysis of Volatile Organics in the Subsurface

Recent advances in soil probe technology for the detection of organic compounds emanating from subsurface media have seen the emergence of thermal techniques to enhance qualitative data obtained during the surveying of contaminated sites. A new portable sampling system has been developed that combines an electrically heated probe tip with three adsorbent tubes. The T.A.S.G. (Thermally Assisted Soil Gas) probe eliminates the need for steam or heated air systems and the transportation of bulky analytical apparatus to the field. This modified approach has several advantages over existing techniques, primarily in yielding additional qualitative and quantitative data, facilitating options for analysis, provides replicate samples for method development, determination of the sampling precision of the analytical results and archiving of compliance samples. Initial results using a prototype probe and sampling temperatures between 50 and 60°C have shown that not only does this technique enhance qualitative data for...