Hill AFB switched from Summa canisters to Beacon Environmental’s Passive Samplers

Research has shown concentration data can vary weekly, daily, and even hourly depending on changes in environmental conditions (e.g., changes in barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature) and activities within buildings (e.g., opening/closing windows and doors, use of exhaust fans). The collection of a 24-hour sample, typically with a Summa canister, has proven ineffective to determine the real health risk due to the limited sampling duration.

By switching to Beacon’s passive sampler, Hill AFB has been able to increase its sampling period to 26 days to minimize the effects of the known temporal variability of VOC concentrations in indoor air.

Beacon’s passive samplers are easier to use, minimize restrictions on the residents because of the long duration sampling period, and eliminate the need for large, expensive canisters.

Because of the change, the Air Force is now able to more confidently assess whether vapor intrusion of contaminants is occurring and accurately report time-weighted average chemical concentrations over longer time periods, which better represents health risks of building occupants.

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