Table 2.
Analyte Coverage and Techniques Used in the Basic Chemical Screen1
| Chemical Class | Analytical Technique | EPA Method | Example Analytes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 | Purge-and-trap Tandem Photoionization Detector/Electrolytic Conductivity Detector (PID/ELCD), Purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) | 502.2, 8021B 524.2, 8260B |
1,1,2-Trichloroethane; ethylbenzene; naphthalene; trichloroethene |
| Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)2 | Solid-phase extraction GC/MS | 525.2, 8270D/3535A | Atrazine; benzo(a)pyrene; dimethyl phthalate |
| Carbamate pesticides2 | High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) – fluorescence detection | 531.1, 531.2 | Aldicarb; carbofuran; sevin (carbaryl) |
| Quaternary nitrogen compounds2 | HPLC – ultraviolet (UV) detection | 549.2 | Diquat; paraquat |
| Trace metals | Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), ICP-MS, graphite furnace atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy | 200.7, 200.8, 200.9 | Arsenic; chromium; copper; lead |
| Total mercury | Cold vapor AA | 245.1, 245.2 with persulfate | Mercury |
| Cyanides | Wet chemistry | 335.2, 335.3, 335.4 | Free cyanide |
| Radionuclides | Gross alpha, Gross beta, Gross gamma | 900 | Cesium-137; iridium-192; cobalt-60 |
1
Adapted from: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/module_4.pdf (Table 4-3)
2
Indicates analytes that are amenable to HRMS characterization