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Mr.M. Scott Mansholt—CEMC <br /> Presentation of Additional Metals Evaluation May 25,2007 <br /> Historic Pipeline Portfolio Page 2 of 5 <br /> METHODOLOGY <br /> In order to determine whether the crude oil carried in the OVP and the TAOC lines could be contributing <br /> metals to the soil of HPP sites, SAIC conducted the following: <br /> 1. Calculated average metals concentrations in the oil samples and compared them to the <br /> background concentrations and SSLs. <br /> 2. Compared metals concentrations in soil samples to background concentrations and SSLs. <br /> 3. Used correlation analyses to evaluate any relationship between the metals and TPHc. <br /> The metals in oil concentrations are likely more accurate indicators of the contribution of metals from oil <br /> releases because soil samples have been influenced by a number of other natural and anthropogenic <br /> sources of metals. Analytical results for metals in soil and oil samples are presented in Table 1. <br /> METALS IN OIL SAMPLES <br /> Figure 1 shows the average metals concentrations in oil compared to the lowest background <br /> concentrations presented in the two background documents referenced previously and the lowest SSLs. <br /> The lowest background concentrations represent the lowest background value noted in either study; <br /> conversely,the higher background concentration represents the highest value noted in either study for a <br /> particular metal. The background values are presented in Table 1. Figure 1 illustrates that the average <br /> concentration of metals in oil is below the lowest background concentrations,with some exceptions <br /> (antimony, cadmium, selenium, silver, and thallium). The average metals concentrations were derived by <br /> assigning a concentration equivalent to the detection limit for oil samples with no detectable metals. <br /> Figure 2 shows that when the higher background numbers are used for comparison none of the metals <br /> exceed their background concentrations. <br /> Note that certain metal analytes in the oil samples exhibited elevated detection limits (molybdenum, <br /> silver, and thallium), and these elevated detection limits were not used in calculating the average metals <br /> concentrations. The average molybdenum concentration was 2.36 milligram per kilogram(mg/kg)using <br /> the detection limits for all non-detect samples. However,molybdenum was detected in only one oil <br /> sample at a concentration below the lowest background level. The average is therefore derived from <br /> samples where molybdenum was not detected, and several of the detection limits were elevated. The <br /> average without these elevated detection limits was 1.08 mg/kg;this falls below the lowest background <br /> concentration. Omitting the high detection limits for the silver analyses changed the average <br /> concentration from 1.9 mg/kg to 0.88 mg/kg; this brings the average silver concentration in oil to just <br /> below the lower background level. For thallium,the average concentration changed from 6.3 to 0.71 <br /> mg/kg. While still within the background range,the average thallium concentration in oil fell below the <br /> lowest SSL. <br /> Further, average metals concentrations in oil are less than the lowest SSLs,with the exception of arsenic <br /> (EPA Region 9 Preliminary Remediation Goals4 and Cal/EPA DTSC California Human Health Screening <br /> Levels5). The average arsenic concentration in the oil is lower than the lowest background concentration. <br /> Further, in SAIC's experience,the arsenic concentrations observed in the oil samples are lower than <br /> commonly observed arsenic concentrations in soil, and therefore the oil is not likely to increase arsenic <br /> concentrations in soil beyond background concentrations. <br /> 4. EPA,2004. Region 9 PRGs Table.hiip://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/sfund/prWindex.html# rgtable. October. <br /> 5. Cal/EPA DTSC,2005. Use of California Human Health Screening Levels in Evaluation of Contaminated Properties. <br /> January. <br />