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AGWST 6.00

Alternative Ground Water Sampling Techniques Guide (July 1994)

Title: Ground Water Sampling with the use of a HydroPunchR Direct Push Sampler (3/94)

Method Number: AGWST 6.00

Summary:

The HydroPunchR is a sampling tool constructed of stainless steel and teflon used for collecting ground water samples. This document provides guidance for the use of this tool in ground water investigations.

I PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This document summarizes the minimum requirements for the use of the HydroPunch® (HP-I and HP-II) for the collection of ground water data for site investigations.

II METHOD OVERVIEW

  1. Tool

    1. The HydroPunch® I (HP-I) sampling tool collects the sample in only one mode, within the sample chamber (Figure I). This tool collects ground water through the effect of in-situ hydrostatic head, therefore, the top of the sample chamber must be below the ground water table for sample acquisition. A sample cannot be collected across the ground water table with the HP-I. The HP-I is designed to be used by cone penetrometer or drill rig.

    2. The HydroPunch® II (HP-II) sampling tool can be operated in two modes, hydrocarbon and water sampling (Figure II). The water sampling mode is similar in operation to the HP-I. In the hydrocarbon mode a PVC screen is exposed so samples can be collected across the ground water table of an unconfined aquifer to determine the presence of floating product. The HP-II was specifically designed to be used by drilling contractors. Its larger diameter limits the effective depth when pushed from the surface with cone penetrometer rigs.

  2. Application

    1. Collection of ground water samples for the determination of the presence/absence and extent of ground water contamination.

    2. Field screening tool to aid in the placement of monitor wells.

    3. Temporary placement for the collection of ground water samples and estimating ground water flow directions (less than 48 hours).

  3. Capabilities

    1. Obtain ground water samples from unconfined aquifers.

    2. Obtain ground water samples from confined aquifers provided the upper aquifer is cased off and the casing is driven a minimum of two feet into the confining layer.

    3. Obtain samples across the water table to determine the presence of floating product (HP-II).

    4. Capable of collecting samples to determine the vertical profiling of contaminants in an aquifer.

    5. Ability to collect ground water samples from small discrete water bearing zones. (HP-I & HP-II)

    6. Capable of being used with a cone penetrometer rig or a conventional drill rig.

    7. 7. A comparison of the advantages and limitations for both the HP-1 and HP-II are listed in Table I.

III SAMPLING METHOD REQUIREMENTS

  1. Installation

    1. The HydroPunch® is capable of use in unconsolidated formations only. When being installed, the drilling must stop above the target sample depth thereby not disturbing the zone to be sampled. It is therefore imperative to have some idea of the depth at which the sample will be collected. If little is known of the site geology, then an initial boring should be made to determine 1) depth of water bearing zones 2) permeability of sample zone 3) density of soil 4) identify the subsurface stratigraphy 5) other pertinent data for the investigation.

    2. When used with a conventional drill rig the hole must be advanced (with hollow stem augers, mud rotary etc.) to the depth which is above the zone of interest, eliminating any interference from the drilling. The HydroPunchR may then be driven to the desired sampling interval for sample collection.

    3. DO NOT set the HydroPunch® down on the bottom of the borehole and pick it up. This will open the tool and compromise the sample integrity. Damage to the tool may be incurred if it is driven after being opened. Also, caution must be taken not to back hammer when driving the HydroPunchR for the above stated reason.

    4. Always accurately measure the distance the tool is pushed or driven and the distance pulled back.

    5. Never pull the HydroPunch® back farther than it is pushed or driven into the undisturbed soil. This may result in cross contamination of the sample from other zones in the borehole, or loss of the casing (in the hydrocarbon mode) resulting in the inability for sample collection.

    6. Installation of the tool is required to comply with all permit, license, sealing and grouting requirements as per Appendices I and II. Any tool left in the ground longer than 48 hours is considered a monitor well and therefore must comply the permit, installation and license requirements for monitor wells.

  2. Sampling Procedures

    1. Hydrocarbon Mode (HP-II)

      1. The hydrocarbon mode is used to collect ground water samples when:

        • A sample must be obtained from the water table interface of an unconfined aquifer.

        • A large volume of sample is required.

        • The presence of floating product is suspected.

      2. A sacrificial 0.010-inch PVC screen (approx. 5') is attached to a disposable drive cone. The screen and drive cone are then inserted into the body of the HP-II until the O-Ring on the cone is sealed in drive shoe. Place the sleeve over the juncture of the drive cone and body of the unit.

      3. Once driven to the desired depth, the body of the unit is pulled back exposing the screen. Friction with the seal will hold the cone in position while the screen is exposed. Do not pull back a distance greater than the length of the screen.

      4. The EW, BW, or NW casing used to drive the tool allows for the placement of a small diameter bailer (3/4" or 1") to be lowered down through the casing and body of the HP-II and into the screen for sample collection.

      5. The Hydropunch does not have to be purged or developed prior to sampling.

    2. Water Sampling Mode (HP-1 and HP-II)

      1. The HP-II in the ground water sampling mode or HP-I can be used when samples are required at a minimum of five (5) feet below the top of the water table and when a small sample volume (500 ml-1,200 ml dependent upon tool) is adequate

      2. Place the lower check valve with attached filter screen into the bottom of the tool body and place the upper check valve in the top of the tool. Insert the disposable drive cone into the drive shoe ensuring a seal is made by the O-Ring. Place sleeve over the juncture of the drive cone and drive shoe.

      3. Push or drive (with 140 lb hammer, 30 inch travel) the unit to the desired depth and pull back approximately two (2) feet. Soil friction will hold the drive cone in place.

      4. Ground water flows into the intake screen past the lower check valve, into the sample chamber and finally out the top check valve.

      5. When full the tool is pulled to the surface, increasing the hydrostatic head within the tool closing the two check valves.

      6. At the surface the HP-II is inverted and the sample is decanted through a discharge valve and tubing into the sample containers.

  3. Quality Assurance/Quality Control

    1. Decontamination

      2. The HydroPunch®, drill rods and drive casing must be decontaminated between samples using the following procedure:

      1. Disassemble the HydroPunch® unit and remove O-Rings.

        2. The PVC screen is disposable and must be discarded.

      2. Scrub with a laboratory grade glassware detergent.

      3. Rinse with potable water and/or steam clean.

      4. Rinse entire unit with distilled and deionized ASTM Type II water.

      5. Replace O-Rings.

      6. Reassemble unit.

      7. The PVC screen is supplied by the manufacturer already cleaned. If the packaging is compromised then it should be cleaned in the same manner as the HydroPunch and casing.

    2. Field Blanks

      3. Field blanks must be obtained in the same manner as samples (i.e., if hydrocarbon mode is used blank water must pass through bailer, screen and HydroPunch® body).

      Parameters and frequency for field blanks are designated in the May 1992 edition of the NJDEPE Field Sampling Procedures Manual (FSPM).

    3. Sample Equipment

      4. The NJDEPE Field Sampling Procedures Manual can be used as a reference for the selection of sampling equipment and procedures for use with the HP-II in the hydrocarbon mode. The HydroPunchR in the water sampling mode is in itself a sampler.

      All sampling equipment must be decontaminated in accordance with the NJDEPE Field Sampling Procedures Manual and dedicated to each sample point.

    4. Rod Sealing

      5. When using the HydroPunchR in the hydrocarbon or ground water mode for obtaining samples deep in the unconfined aquifer or in a confined aquifer, or using the unit with hollow stem augers on mud rotary drilling, the drill rod/casing joints must be sealed. This will prevent fluid from entering the rods and potentially contaminating the sample. The rods should be sealed with TeflonR tape on the threads. Once put together the joints must be sealed with gas pipe tape. Another option is the use of drill rod with O-Rings at the threads for sealing.

    5. Formation Types

      6. The HydroPunch® can be installed in unconsolidated materials. Varying amounts of pebbles, cobbles and boulders may impede advancement or damage the tool.

IV REFERENCES

  1. Cordry, Kent; "Hydropunch ® User's Guide

  2. Cordry, Kent; "Technical Information and Application Guidelines - Hydropunch"

  3. Bergen, C.L.; Tuckfield, R.C.; Park, NM; "Suitability of the Hydropunch for Assessing Ground Water Contaminated by Volatile Organics

  4. Cordry, Kent; HydroPunch II - The Second Generation. A New In Situ Ground Water Sampling Tool. In Procedures of the Fifth National Outdoor Action Conference on Aquifer Restoration Ground Water Monitoring, and Geophysical Methods. pp 715-723 May 13-16, 1991, Las Vegas, Nevada.

  5. Strutynsky, A.I.; Sainey, T.J.; Use of Piezometeric Cone Penetration Testing and Penetrometer Ground Water Sampling for Volatile Organic Contaminant Plume Detection. In Procedures of the Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Chemicals in Ground Water: Prevention, Detection and Restoration. p70-84. October 1990, Houston, TX.

  6. Edge, R; Cordry, K; The HydroPunch: An In Situ Sampling Tool for Collecting Ground Water from Unconsolidated Sediments. Ground Water Monitoring Review, Vol. IX (3) pp 177-183, 1989.

  7. Smolley, M; Kappmeyer, J; Cone Penetrometer Tests and HydroPunch® Sampling: A Screening Technique for Plume Definition. Ground Water Monitoring Review, Vol XI, No. 3, pp 101-106.

  8. Van Sciver, C., Wallace, E.; The Evaluation of the HydroPunch II to Obtain a Representative Ground Water Sample. 9th Annual Waste Testing and Quality Assurance Symposium; July 12-16, 1993, Arlington, VA

TABLE I

ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS
COMPARISON OF HP-I AND HP-II

HP-I HP-II
ADVANTAGES  

  1. Small diameter - can be used with cone penetrometer rig.

  2. Reusable cone.

  3. Vertical profiling from a single borehole without concern about drilling through disposable cones and screens.

  

General:

  1. Simpler design and fewer parts for fast decontamination.

  2. No moving parts are attached permanently to the tool making it more durable and reliable.

  3. Removable check valves providing 2 sample modes which increases flexibility.

Hydrocarbon Mode:

  1. Can collect sample at top of aquifer, including product.

  2. Can collect an unlimited volume of sample.

  3. Can collect sample from thin aquifer.

  4. Can directly measure fill rate.

Ground Water Mode:

  1. Tool does not have to be driven on special casing.

  2. Only tool needs to be decontaminated.

  3. Tool can be driven using downhole wireline hammers.
LIMITATIONS  

  1. Thin diameter and sliding parts with close tolerances make tool susceptible to damage when driven by drilling rig.

  2. Short intake interval (11- inch) makes sampling from thin water bearing zones difficult.

  3. The intake screen must be at least 5 feet below the top of the aquifer to collect a complete sample.

  4. Sample volume is limited to approximately 500 ml.

  5. Yields a turbid sample.

  6. Sample time intervals in low aquifers may cause degeneration of sample integrity.

  7. Requires drill rig for installation.

  

Hydrocarbon Mode:

  1. Hollow drive pipe must extend to surface.

  2. Drive pipe must be decontaminated.

  3. A cone and screen is lost each time the tool is used.

  4. The rate and amount of sample obtained is dependent upon the permeability of the formation.

  5. Yields a turbid sample therefore samples for various analytes may be biased high.

  6. Long sample acquisition times in low yielding aquifers may cause degeneration of sample integrity.

  7. Requires drill rig for installation.

Ground Water Mode:

  1. The intake must be at least 5 feet below the top of the aquifer to obtain a full sample.

  2. Direct monitoring of the tool fill rate is difficult.

  3. Sample volume is limited to 1.2 liters.

  4. Yields a turbid sample therefore samples for various analytes may be biased high.

  5. Long sample acquisition times in low yielding aquifers may cause degeneration of sample integrity.

  6. Requires drill rig for installation.

  7. Formations with 20-30% silts and clays may not yield sufficient water for sampling and limit use of the tool

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