ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the methods available to assess the extent, magnitude, and nature of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil and groundwater. Hydrocarbon site assessment methods can be categorized broadly into those that merely attempt to detect the presence or absence of contamination and those that attempt to quantify the magnitude and extent of contamination. Pedestrian surveys and soil gas surveys fall into the qualitative category, while soil and groundwater sampling have a quantitative goal. The collection and analysis of soil samples has become a standard practice in site assessment and along with groundwater sampling, one which has gained the wide acceptance of regulatory agencies. Soil sampling may be accomplished using a variety of methods ranging from simple hand augers to drill rigs. Certainly the most common of all assessment techniques is the pedestrian survey in which the investigator walks a site looking for visual signs of contamination or indications of hydrocarbon presence.
