RBCA Tool kit for Chemical Releases V2.6

Designed to meet the requirements of the ASTM Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action (E-2081), the RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases, version 2.6, now provides expanded flexibility and additional risk and transport models to allow for even easier application of this essential software tool to develop risk-based soil and groundwater clean-up levels consistent with local regulations or requirements around the world.

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GSI RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases Full Product Description

Environmental site managers, regulatory authorities, and consultants around the world have increasingly turned to Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) for the management of contaminated soil and groundwater. RBCA is a practical management approach that focuses explicitly on the protection of human health and the environment while promoting energy and cost-efficient remedies to allow limited resources to be targeted to the most hazardous sites. A keystone of the RBCA framework is the development of site-specific environmental cleanup criteria following a tiered risk evaluation approach. This approach is broadly applicable to chemical release sites located in different geographical settings and managed under various regulatory authorities. The RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases is a comprehensive modeling and risk characterization software package designed to meet the requirements of the ASTM Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action (E-2081) for Tier 1 and Tier 2 RBCA evaluations for chemical release sites in addition to traditional risk assessment calculations. The software combines contaminant transport models and risk assessment tools to calculate baseline risk levels and derive risk-based cleanup standards for a full array of soil, groundwater, surface water, and air exposure pathways. The ease-of-use features and streamlined graphical interface features of this software make it an essential tool for handling RBCA and generic risk assessment calculations for both simple and sophisticated problems.

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GSI RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases Features

Exposure Pathway Evaluation

Risk-based evaluation of groundwater, surface water, surface soil, outdoor air and indoor air exposure pathways, for residential, commercial, and user-defined receptors:

Groundwater ingestion
Surface water recreational contact and fish consumption
Combined direct contact with surface soils (incidental ingestion, dermal absorption, inhalation of vapors and particulates, and consumption of homegrown vegetables)
Outdoor and indoor inhalation of vapors emanating from soil or groundwater sources.

Fate and Transport Models

Fate and transport models for all exposure pathways address a wide array of chemicals, including petroleum hydrocarbons (including TPH), metals, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, and more. Multiple points of exposure (POEs) allow analysis of actual vs potential points of exposure in the same run. An array of default transport parameters provided for various soil types. F&T models include:

Soil and groundwater source depletion
ASTM and USEPA (SSG) outdoor air volatilization
Johnson & Ettinger and Groundwater Mass Flux indoor air models
ASTM soil leaching model, with decay options
Dual-equilibrium desorption
Point-source air dispersion
Domenico groundwater solute transport, with decay options

Transient Modeling Options

In addition to steady-state air, soil, and groundwater exposure models, the RBCA Tool Kit allows transient groundwater modeling analysis to help estimate not only how high but how soon exposure could occur.

Chem/Tox Database

Contains default physical, chemical, toxicological and regulatory parameters for over 600 of chemicals, including organic solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons (including TPH fractions), pesticides, metals, and more. The user selects the chemical of concern and the key data loads automatically. Preferences can be specified for using default toxicological parameters from published sources in the USA, Netherlands, and UK. Multiple database files can be customized and easily managed within the RBCA Tool Kit interface for project or location-specific applications.

User-Friendly Interface

Streamlined graphical interface guides the user through the RBCA evaluation process. Features include convenient unit selection and conversions, importing and exporting, and report printing options. The complete userÃ‚Â’s manual, including risk and fate and transport model equations, is available on-line via context sensitive help buttons located throughout the software screens.

Reports

Produces report-quality output tables of baseline risk and cleanup standards and report-ready summary for each chemical.

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What's new in GSI RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases v2.6?

Chemical/Toxicity Database Update

Includes the 2011 update of the chemical/physical properties and toxicology factors database, published by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and containing values for over 650 potential chemicals of concern. Remember, default applicable toxicology parameters and regulatory criteria are provided solely for the convenience of the user and subject to periodic updates. As with all model input parameters, the user should ensure that chemical-specific values are applicable for any particular analysis performed with the RBCA Tool Kit.

BioVapor Model Support

Includes user support for incorporating results from BioVapor in the evaluation of indoor air pathways. BioVapor is a free, user-friendly indoor vapor intrusion model that accounts for oxygen-limited biodegradation, which can prove critical for limiting vapor intrusion at sites with very low (screening level) concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons.

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GSI RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases System Requirements

PC with Minimum 512MB RAM, 500Mhz Processor, Microsoft Windows 2000 or greater. Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, 2010 or 2013. The software is not compatible with the 64-bit version of Microsoft Excel. This product is only guaranteed to work with English language versions of Microsoft Excel. For more information, please contact GSI. For product technical support, including installation support please click here.

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RBCA Toolkit Software FAQs

Run-Time Error 1004 when using RBCA Tool Kit

Symptoms: The input buttons on the main screen are disabled and/or non-functional and the following error is produced:

Cause: The RBCA Tool Kits prior to version 2.5 are not compatible with Microsoft Office Excel 2007. These versions are only compatible with Microsoft Excel versions 2000, 2002 (XP), and 2003. It is important to note that all of the versions listed above require the latest service packs for Microsoft Excel. Resolution: Use a version of Excel that is compatible with your version of the software. If you require the use of the RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases, version 2.5 is compatible with Microsoft Office Excel 2007.

Run-time error 1004 while attempting to register a RBCA Tool Kit product

Symptoms: When attempting to register a RBCA software product, the following error is generated:

ALTERNATIVELY Every time that the software is run, it requires registration before it is functional. Cause: RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases requires that the user have at least Ã‚Â“changeÃ‚Â” permission to the folder from which the tool kit is running. The various Microsoft Excel files that contain the word Ã‚Â“startÃ‚Â” in the name (e.g., rbcastart.xls, ACRBCAstart.xla,etc), store user registration data and will not function properly without this level of access. More Information: The above behavior has also been reported in the following situations: * RBCA files reside on a network share instead of the local machine (required). * RBCA files are being run from within an archive (e.g., ZIP, RAR, etc). How to register RBCA Tool Kit software: 1. Launch the tool kit. 2. Put in the appropriate name, company name (if applicable) and registration number. 3. The software will generate an access code. (Make note of this code.) 4. LEAVE EXCEL AND THE TOOL KIT OPEN. 5. Open an internet browser and go to the following address: http://www.gsi-net.com/auth.asp 6. Enter in the required information, including the registration number and access code from #3 above. (Be sure and select the appropriate version of the software.) 7. The website will generate a security code. (Make note of this code.) 8. Switch back to Excel and enter the security code generated in #7 above. 9. Select OK. 10. The RBCA Tool Kit software is now registered and may be used.

Run-Time Error 1004 on Windows Vista/7 Operating Systems

Symptoms: After installing the RBCA Tool Kit for the first time, you encounter Error 1004 when trying to register the product. Cause: By default when an application is installed on Windows Vista / Windows 7 operating systems the folder is given Read Only permissions. Read and Write permissions are required for the proper operation of the software. This problem has also been known to occur on occasion when the chemical database has been updated. Resolution: Note: The following instructions should be preformed before installing the software. If you have already installed the software and attempted to register it please remove and then re-install the software before attempting the solutions below. For End Users: If you are not an administrator on the computer that the software was installed on you can copy and paste the program folder to a directory under your profile directory (such as your My Documents or Desktop Folders). The program shortcuts will not point to the correct location so be sure to launch RBCA by double clicking on the RBCAStart.xls file For Computer Administrators: If you have administrator permissions on the computer the software was installed on your can follow the directions below to enable Read & Write permissions on the folder and its contents. 1. The default install location for the RBCA Tool Kit is in one of the the following folders: 64 Bit Operating Systems: C:\Program Files (x86)\ 32 Bit Operating Systems: C:\Program Files\ 2. Right click on the RBCA program folder. A context menu will appear, left click on the ""Properties"" Option.

3. Left click on the ""Security Tab"", then left click on the ""Advanced"" button located at the bottom right of the dialog window.

4. Click the ""Change Permissions"" button.

5. Highlight the ""Users"" entry in the Permissions Entries list and click the ""Edit"" button.

6. Click the check box next to the ""Full Control"" permission, then Click ""Ok"".

7. Left click the ""Replace all child objects permissions with inheritable permissions from this object"" check box and then left click the ""Ok"" button.

8. If you receive a Windows Security warning message, left click ""Yes"".

9. Click ""Ok"", then ""Ok"" again to close the dialog boxes that were opened. Once you have completed these steps you can now run the RBCA Tool Kit and register the software. Note: If you had previously tried to register the product, received the 1004 run-time error and saved the file, you will need to remove and re-install the software. Once the software is installed follow the instructions above before registering the product.

Is there a way to enter soil gas data directly?

Soil gas concentrations cannot be directly entered. However, by using the equilibrium partitioning equation, an equivalent total soil concentration can be calculated as function of soil gas concentration, which can in turn be entered into the software as the soil concentration. Assuming equilibrium partitioning among the soil, air and water phases, the bulk soil concentration can be derived from the soil gas concentration by the following: CT (mg/kg) = Cair(mg/L) / H(dimensionless) / Ksw(kg/L) Where: CT (mg/kg) = bulk soil concentration Cair (mg/L) = air phase (soil gas) concentration, (mg/L = ug/L * 10-6) H = dimensionless Henry's Law constant Ksw (kg/L) = bulk soil-water partition factor, defined as follows. Ksw = rhob / (thetaW + kd*rhob + H*thetaA) Where: rhob (kg/L) = soil bulk density kd (L/kg) = soil-water partition coefficient (=foc*Koc for organics) thetaW = volumetric water content (dimensionless) thetaA = volumetric air content (dimensionless)

How do I install the RBCA Tool Kit?

1. Both the RBCA Tool Kit for Chemical Releases and the RBCA Tool Kit for TRRP come delivered as an executable ZIP file. Run the setup file and allow the files to unzip by clicking ""Unzip"". 2. You may then start the RBCA Tool Kit by running the start file (C:"