OIL-IN-SOIL

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The OIL-IN-SOIL™ field screening test kit is an affordable, simple, rapid qualitative sampling test for identifying the presence of hydrocarbons including LNAPLs and DNAPLs in soil. The OIL-IN-SOIL test kit is a visually enhanced version of the old soil-water shake test for the presence of oils and petroleum products. Users add soil to a line on the label, add water to another line on the label, and shake the jar to release the dyes. Download the manual for more information.

Kit Details

The kit comes in two colors. One kit uses an exact replacement for Sudan IV that contains virtually no o-toluidine, which is a mutagen. This dye colors the hydrocarbon red and has a water-soluble green fluorescein for contrast. The OIL-IN-SOIL kit also comes in a royal blue color called OIL-IN-SOIL RB. The blue dye is primarily for customers with red-green colorblindness. The styrofoam ball turning pink or light blue (depending on the dye used) indicates hydrocarbon presence down to 500ppm. Many DNAPLs will give indications below 10ppm because of their ability to penetrate the styrene used in the jar.

Economic Benefits

Rapid delineation of hydrocarbons and DNAPL spill boundaries in soil allows for more rapid removal of contaminants from the environment. The quantity of dye used in all of our kits is so low that an SDS is not required.

Performance

The OIL-IN-SOIL kits provide an inexpensive, consistent tool for the detection of hydrocarbons (500ppm TPH) in soil. They are easy to use and require minimal training, thus reducing the need for ongoing expensive technical support on-site. OIL-IN-SOIL kits have been sold commercially for over 18 years and are used for Phase I and Phase II site assessments by most major environmental companies and several utility companies throughout the United States, the EU, the UK, Africa, South America, and the The Middle East.

Limitations

The only known restrictions are that the petroleum or DNAPL be sufficiently light in color so that the red dye can be seen, and that the water added to the kit be clear enough to see the dye and warm enough to dissolve the soluble cube in the kit. The kits are not intended as analytical tools; they were designed as presence/absence indicators to 500ppm TPH.  Comparison of LNAPL and DNAPL concentrations are available in the Photo Gallery.