EPA-RCA: 8033: Acetonitrile in Aqueous Matrices Using Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detection

Summary
Analytes
Revision
Data and Sites

Official Method Name

Acetonitrile by Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detection

Current Revision

Revision 0, December 1996

Media

WATER

Instrumentation

Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen - Phosphorus Detection

Method Subcategory

Organic

Method Source

EPA-RCA

Citation

SW-846 Online: Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods

Brief Method Summary

Water samples are injected into a GC/NPD through cool on-column direct aqueous injection. Acetonitrile concentration is quantitated using external calibration.

Scope and Application

This method determines the concentration of acetonitrile in aqueous matrices using gas chromatography (GC) with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD).

Applicable Concentration Range

1.7 - 5000 ug/L

Interferences

(A) Chromatographic interferents: Water becomes an interferent at column temperatures greater than 60^oC by coeluting with acetonitrile. This problem is solved by operating the column at 35^oC, as well as, heating the column to 120^oC for one hour each day.
(B) Matrix interferences: Chromium forms a complex with acetonitrile, therefore glassware containing traces of chromium should not be used.
(C) Method interferences: Contaminants in reagents, glassware, and other sample processing hardware may lead to elevated baselines and/or other interferences in the gas chromatograms. Routine analysis of reagent blanks should be performed as a check for method interferences.

Quality Control Requirements

Refer to Chapter One and Methods 8000, 3500, and 5000 for specific QC procedures. Procedures include: validation of sample preparation, introduction, and analysis, initial demonstration of capability, calibration verification, evaluation of retention times, analysis of method blanks, matrix spikes, duplicates, and laboratory control samples.

Sample Handling

See SW-846 Chapter Four for information. See the introductory material to this chapter, "Organic Analytes", Section 4.1. Acetonitrile should be handled as a volatile compound.

Maximum Holding Time

See SW-846 Chapter Four for information.

Relative Cost

$201 to $400

Sample Preparation Methods

None.

This method has 1 analyte associated with it.

Analyte	Detection Level	Bias	Precision	Pct False Positive	Pct False Negative	Spiking Level
Acetonitrile(75-05-8) Acetonitrile Cyanomethane Ethanenitrile Ethyl nitrile Methane carbonitrile Methyl cyanide	1.700 ug/L	N/A	2.00 % RSD (SL)			31.00 ug/L

Precision Descriptor Notes:	Using laboratory produced standards containing 0.031 ng/uL and 0.33 ng/uL of acetonitrile in water using a 1.0 uL injection volume, the relative standard deviations were 2.0% and 1.4%, respectively. Analysis of an unknown QC sample showed that calibration with external standards was accurate within +/- 4% of the true value.
Detection Level Note:	None.

Revision	PDF/Link
Revision 0, December 1996

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EPA-RCA: 8033: Acetonitrile in Aqueous Matrices Using Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detection

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