Vapor intrusion

Vapor intrusion (VI) is a process by which chemicals in soil or groundwater - especially Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - migrate to indoor air above a contaminated site.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines vapor intrusion as "a migration of volatile chemicals from groundwater contamination or contaminated soil into an overlying building". The chemicals can be of different classes including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), certain semi-volatile organic compound and inorganic chemicals, such as elemental mercury, naturally occurring radon, and hydrogen sulfide.

At worst, vapor intrusion can be a safety hazard, e.g., when flammables are involved in form of an explosion. Noxious vapors can cause health effects, either acutely such as CNS disturbances like headaches or mental status changes, and they can have chronic health effects, e.g. in the case of radon, which can cause lung cancer. Lastly, vapors can be severe "aesthetic problems", e.g., odors from hydrogen sulfide.

In the United States, vapor intrusion is handled in individual states in different ways.

One of the most scrupulous guidance documents on vapor intrusion in the nation has been from the New York Department of Health in 2006.

In June 2010, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) released a commercial "Standard Guide for Vapor Encroachment Screening on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions" (ASTM E 2600-10).

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