A multi-compartment mass transfer model applied to building vapor intrusion

We develop a systematic approach to model steady-state advective and diffusive fluxes, as well as phase changes, between multi-media environmental compartments. The approach results in four simple rules for constructing mass transfer coefficients. Results are analogous to electrical circuit theory with resistors, including variable resistors or potentiometers, in parallel and series. This general approach lends itself particularly well to vapor intrusion calculations where there are multi-media compartments involving groundwater, soil, and air. In addition to showing that the model reduces to the well-known Johnson & Ettinger model in limiting cases, we illustrate its simplicity and ease of use with several examples: (1) an example of how multiple partition coefficients collapse into a single partition coefficient illustrated by a three-phase problem involving tar, water, and air, (2) determination of when the presence of a basement significantly lowers first floor exposures, and (3) addition of diffusion in the saturated zone to the model to investigate whether the resistance associated with this compartment can be neglected. We conclude that if the water table is truly steady, this resistance would be very significant. Therefore, a vapor intrusion model that neglects both water table fluctuations and diffusion in groundwater is ignoring important physical phenomena.

► A new model for vapor intrusion (VI).
► Basements can reduce VI exposures.
► Diffusion in groundwater can limit VI.