Can augers be used to sample for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?

Can augers be used to sample for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only hand augers
• D. Only gas-powered

Answer: (B)

VOCs are measured by capturing the gas phase where these compounds actually reside, not by collecting solid soil material. An auger is designed to remove soil cores and bring solid samples back for analysis. It does not sample the air or pore-gas within the soil in a way that yields a representative VOC concentration, and it can even disturb or contaminate VOCs through degassing or from drilling fluids and the auger itself. For VOCs, use dedicated air or soil-gas sampling methods—such as sorbent tubes or evacuated canisters for ambient air, or soil-gas probes and headspace techniques for soil VOCs. So augers are not used to sample VOCs.

VOCs are measured by capturing the gas phase where these compounds actually reside, not by collecting solid soil material. An auger is designed to remove soil cores and bring solid samples back for analysis. It does not sample the air or pore-gas within the soil in a way that yields a representative VOC concentration, and it can even disturb or contaminate VOCs through degassing or from drilling fluids and the auger itself. For VOCs, use dedicated air or soil-gas sampling methods—such as sorbent tubes or evacuated canisters for ambient air, or soil-gas probes and headspace techniques for soil VOCs. So augers are not used to sample VOCs.