EPA/600/R-98/092

The Large-Bore Soil Sampler is a sampling tool capable of collecting unconsolidated subsurface material at depths that depend on the capability of the advancement platform. The Large-Bore Soil Sampler can be advanced into the subsurface with direct-push platforms, drill rigs, or manual methods. The Large-Bore Soil Sampler was demonstrated in May and June 1997 at two sites: the Small Business Administration (SBA) site in Albert City, Iowa, and the Chemical Sales Company (CSC) site in Denver, Colorado. These sites were chosen because each has a wide range of volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations and because each has a distinct soil type. The Large-Bore Soil Sampler was compared to a reference method (hollow-stem auger drilling and split-spoon sampling) in terms of the following parameters:

1. sample recovery,
2. VOC concentrations in recovered samples,
3. sample integrity,
4. reliability and throughput, and
5. cost.

The demonstration data indicate the following performance and cost characteristics:

1. Average sample recoveries for the Large-Bore Soil Sampler were higher in clay soil and lower in sandy soil.
2. There was a statistical difference between the VOC concentrations for one of twelve Large-Bore Soil Sampler and reference sample method pairs at the SBA site and for two of eleven pairs at the CSC site.
3. The reference method tends to yield higher concentrations than the Large-Bore Soil Sampler in sampling coarse-grained soils.
4. The integrity of the lined chamber of the Large-Bore Soil Sampler was not preserved when the sampler was advanced through highly contaminated soils.
5. The Large-Bore Soil Samplers reliability to collect a sample in the first attempt was higher than that of the reference sampling method in both clay and sandy soils.
6. The Large-Bore Soil Sampler costs for both clay soil and sandy soil sites were lower than the reference method.
7. The cost depends on the amount of samples required, the sample retrieval time, soil type, soils depth, and the disposal costs associated with drill cuttings.