What Happens if Vapor Intrusion is Suspected Near My Home or Business?
When vapor intrusion is suspected, it should be investigated by the party responsible for the contamination. In addition, property owners may also request independent investigation by government agencies or outside consultants to provide unbiased verification of the responsible parties’ findings. Investigation’s typically involves first testing soil, groundwater, and soil vapor at test points outside homes and businesses. This testing helps to determine if volatile chemicals might pose an indoor air quality problem, without a need to disturb residents or businesses. At many contaminated sites, this initial testing is sufficient to determine that volatile chemical levels are low and are not considered a problem. At other sites, these levels in soil, groundwater, or soil vapor are high enough to cause concerns about indoor air quality in nearby homes or businesses. When potential risks to human health and the environment is identified as described above, additional investigation is often
