NEMI Method Summary

Method Summary Information

Method Number: 526 Media: WATER
Revision: Revision 1.0, June 2000
Method Source: U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water/Technical Support Center
Analytes in this method
Subcategory: ORGANIC
Official Name: Determination of Selected Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
Descriptive Name SVOCs in Water by GCMS
Source Info: U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Technical Support Center
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268-1320
Citation: Methods for the Determination of Organic and Inorganic Compounds in Drinking Water, Volume 1 (EPA/815-R-00-014)
172147 Byte file
Brief Method
Summary:
 A 1-L sample is extracted using a solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. SVOCs trapped in the cartridge are eluted under vacuum using ethyl acetate and dichloromethane. The extract is dried by passing it though an anhydrous sodium sulfate column, and the dried extract is concentrated. The concentrations of SVOCs in the extract are measured using a capillary column gas chromatography (GC) system equipped with a mass spectrometer (MS) detector.
Scope And
Application:
 This method determines certain semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in raw water and finished drinking water.
Applicable
Conc Range:
 Not Provided.
Interferences:

(A) Glassware contamination: Solvent rinse and bake glassware to minimize contamination.

(B) Co-extracted interferences: Compounds that are co-extracted with analytes may interfere.

(C) Reagents: Buffers and preservatives used may contain organic contaminants.

(D) Benzophenone: Benzophenone and 1,2-diphenylhydrazine share similar spectra, and their chromatographic peaks must be resolved to accurately quantitate.

(E) Sodium sulfate: Anhydrous sodium sulfate may sometimes have an interference that causes loss of prometon and tailing of phenol peaks. Replace the first meter of column and the deactivated glass inlet liner was required to regain performance after analyzing contaminated samples.

(F) Contamination: Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) devices can introduce contaminants.

(G) Carryover effects: Analytes may carry over to later runs.

(H) Silicone: Silicone may leach from septa, though silicone will usually not interfere.
QC Requirements: Initial Demonstration of Capability (IDC), determination of the MDL, subsequent analysis in each batch of a Laboratory Reagent Blank (LRB), Continuing Calibration Check Standards (CCC), a Laboratory Fortified Blank (LFB), a Laboratory Fortified Sample Matrix (LFM), and either a Laboratory Fortified Sample Matrix Duplicate (LFMD) or a Field Duplicate Sample.
Sample Handling: Grab samples must be collected in accordance with conventional sampling practices using a 1 liter or 1 quart amber or clear glass bottle fitted with PTFE-lined screw-caps. The following preservation reagents are added to each sample bottle prior to shipment to the field: L-Ascorbic Acid - 0.10 g/L, EDTA - 0.35 g/L), Diazolidinyl Urea - 1.0 g/L, Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - 0.47 g/L (First component of pH 7 buffer mixture), Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride - 7.28 g/L (Second component of pH 7 buffer mixture.
Sampling equipment, including automatic samplers, must be free of plastic tubing, gaskets, and other parts that may leach interfering analytes into the sample. Fill sample bottles, taking care not to flush out the preservation reagents and then cap the bottles and agitate by hand until preservatives are dissolved. Samples must not exceed 10oC during the first 48 hours after collection. Samples stored in the lab must be held at or below 6oC until extraction, but should not be frozen. Extracts should be kept at 0oC or less.
Max Holding Time:
 14 days; 28 days after extraction.
 
Relative Cost: $201 to $400
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