Screening for volatile organic compounds in soil and groundwater by use of a portable gas chromatograph during field investigations at an Air Force installation in Ohio

The use of the portable gas chromatograph for screening of soil and water samples in the field was part of the drilling program for the installation of monitoring wells for a basewide ground-water monitoring program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Selected soil and ground-water samples were screened in the field for volatile organic compounds to determine if contamination was present, to define the vertical and lateral extent of contamination, and to aid in the placement of the well screens for optimal interception of contaminants. This report describes the screening methods, sample-collection, quality-assurance/quality-control methods, and data-interpretation procedures necessary for screening of soil and ground-water samples in the field during the water resources investigations.