Jace Hargis overview of being a corporate chemist, including Hydro-Geo-Chemical Cycle, Field/Soil Technician, Field Chemist, Analytical Lab Chemist, Consulting Chemist, Task/Project Manager, Risk Assessment, Data Validation, Report Writing

1. Environmental Chemistry
in the Real World
Jace Hargis, PhD

2. Advance Organizer
• Hydro-Geo-Chemical Cycle
• Field/Soil Technician
• Field Chemist
• Analytical Lab Chemist
• Consulting Chemist
• Task/Project Manager

3. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Geologic
Cycle
Tectonic
Hydrologic
Rock
Biogeo-
chemical

4. Subsurface
Systems

5. Field Work
• Destinations
• Drill
• Purge
• Collect Soil/Water Sample
• Preserve
• Ship to lab for analysis

6. • O - Organic layer – leaf
litter & organic material.
• A – Topsoil layer – loose
with varying amounts of
organic matter.
• B – Subsoil - lighter in
color, dense and low in
organic matter.
• C – Transition - void of
organic, made of partially
weathered parent.
• D – below C is Bedrock

7. Field Chemist
• Perform basic analysis in the field typically to
inform drillers – direction of contaminant,
depth, etc.
• Screening for hazardous waste – water and air

8. Water Quality Indicators
• Alkalinity
• Ammonia
• Bacteria
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Conductivity
• Hardness
• Nitrate
• Phosphate
• Chemicals (Pesticides, VOCs, Metals)

9. Alkalinity & Ammonia (NH3)
• Alkalinity - water’s ability to neutralize acids.
Produced by minerals (limestone, CaCO3).
• NH3 produced by decay of organic matter.
Bacteria readily convert NH3 to NO3.

10. Nitrate (NO3)
• Primary plant nutrient. Water soluble and
moves easily from surface to GW.
• Excess causes algal blooms that reduce
water quality and DO.
• Excessive use of fertilizers & sewage
creates surplus.

11. Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
• Product of photosynthesis and diffusion.
• Warmer the water, the less O2 it can hold.
• Organisms need at least 5 ppm O2.

12. Conductivity
• Water’s ability to conduct an electrical current.
• Pure H2O is poor conductor.
Add dissolved solids (salts) increases conduct.
• Measured using conductivity meter.

13. • pH - measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) conc.
• Scale is 0-14. Neutral (7); Acidic (<7);
Basic (>7).
• Aquatic organisms exist within range of 5-9.

14. Analytical Lab Chemistry
• Organic - SVOC, VOC, Pest
• Inorganic - Cations, Anions
• Wet Chemistry – WQ

15. Organic - Gas Chromatograph

16. Cations (Metals) Atomic Absorption
Spectroscopy
Determines presence of cations such as Fe, Cu,
Al, Pb, Ca, Zn, Cd in low mg/L (ppm).

17. Data
Validation
Path
Plume Maps

18. Data Validation
• Systematic review of env chemical data, where
qualifiers (U, J, UJ or R) are added.
• Provides information on quality of the data.
• Parameters reviewed
– initial and continuing calibration
– Blanks
– Surrogates
– matrix spikes and duplicates
– holding times; and
– target compound identification.

19. Report Writing
• Collect Data
• Plume Maps
• Interpret using GW flow, fate and transport
data
• Recommend remedial action and monitoring

20. Remedial Actions
• Excavation & removal of contaminated soil
• Recovery Wells and Slurry Walls
• Groundwater pump & treat extraction systems
w/GAC
• Soil-Vapor Extraction
• Natural attenuation

21. Environmental Audits
(1) Compliance audits to ensure company is
meeting regulations;
(2) Audits of property transfers;
(3) "Treatment, storage, and disposal facility"
audits used to follow hazardous material
throughout their life cycle;
(4) Preventative measures to reduce
company’s risk.

22. Risk Assessment
• Human Health
– Identifying pollution sources
– Predicting contaminant fate and transport
– Quantifying chemical exposures
– Evaluating tox data
• Assumes 70kg individual exposed over a 70-yr life.
• Ecological - define levels protective of environment and
to derive clean up criteria.

23. Task/Project Management Sum
• Proposal - RfP
• Plans
– Work Plan
– H&S Plan
– Sampling Plan
• Staffing
– PM, TM,
Engineers,
Chemists,
Hydrogeologists,
Technicians,
Editor
• Project
– Permits
– Well installations
– Sample collection
– Lab analysis
– Data validation
– Data interpretation
– Risk assessment
– Report writing
– Technical editing
– Reprographics
– Deliverable
• On-time, budget,
high-quality- $$$

24. Thank You
Jace Hargis, PhD