Utility of Tier 1 Analysis in Hydrocarbon ForensicsEnvironmental Forensics
Oral Presentation
Prepared by K. Bagawandoss
SGS North America, Inc., 500 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Scott, Louisiana, 70583, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 281-881-1457
ABSTRACT
Hydrocarbon forensics relies on a tiered approach for the determination of the source of contamination and allocation of responsibilities based on the products identified at the site. Of Course, historical information plays a huge role in identification of the contaminant and its source.
The Tiers are traditionally classified as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier3 based on the complexity of the analytical techniques utilized to identify the contaminant and its source. Tier 1 analysis is the least sophisticated analysis of the three tiers. Typically, it is a EPA Method 8015 (Mod.) GC/FID analysis. This presentation will present the Tier 1 analysis approaches and its utility in the overall forensics approach to solving a problem. Tier 1 analysis is also known as Whole Oil Analysis fingerprinting.
This presentation will analyze and present the utility of Tier 1 analyses based upon comparison to a library of products over time. The deductions of Tier1 analysis will be discussed. Examples of the data from Tier 1 analysis will be presented.
