ASTM International

Standard Test Method for Organohalide Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Water by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography
 N D5175

Annotation

This test method ( 1, 2, 3 )2 is applicable to the determination of the following analytes in finished drinking water, drinking water during intermediate stages of treatment, and the raw source water:

Detection limits for most test method analytes are less than 1 g/L. Actual detection limits are highly dependent on the characteristics of the sample matrix and the gas chromatography system. Table 1 contains the applicable concentration range for the precision and bias statements. Only Aroclor 1016 and 1254 were included in the interlaboratory test used to derive the precision and bias statements. Data for other PCB products are likely to be similar.

Chlordane, toxaphene, and Aroclor products (polychlorinated biphenyls) are multicomponent materials. Precision and bias statements reflect recovery of these materials dosed into water samples. The precision and bias statements may not apply to environmentally altered materials or to samples containing complex mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides.

For compounds other than those listed in 1.1 or for other sample sources, the analyst must demonstrate the applicability of this test method by collecting precision and bias data on spiked samples (groundwater, tap water) (4) and provide qualitative confirmation of results by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (5) or by GC analysis using dissimilar columns.

This test method is restricted to use by or under the supervision of analysts experienced in the use of GC and in the interpretation of gas chromatograms. Each analyst must demonstrate the ability to generate acceptable results using the procedure described in Section 13.