EPA-EAD: 1624: Volatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS

Summary
Analytes
Revision
Data and Sites

Official Method Name

Method 1624, Revision B: Volatile Organic Compounds by Isotope Dilution GC/MS

Current Revision

40 CFR Part 136, Appendix A (Current Edition)

Media

WATER

Instrumentation

Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry Detection

Method Subcategory

Organic

Method Source

EPA-EAD

Citation

EPA Method Guidance CD-ROM (includes MCAWW Methods, and most current EPA Methods)

Brief Method Summary

Stable isotopically labeled analogs of the compounds of interest are added to a 5 mL water sample. The sample is purged at 20-25^oC with an inert gas where the volatile organic compounds are transferred from the aqueous phase into the gaseous phase and passed into a sorbent column and trapped. After purging is completed, the trap is backflushed and heated rapidly to desorb the compounds into a gas chromatograph (GC) where they are separated and detected by a mass spectrometer (MS).

Scope and Application

This method determines the volatile toxic organic pollutants that are amenable to purge and trap gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Applicable Concentration Range

Not Available.

Interferences

(A) Analytical system: Impurities in the purge gas, organic compounds out-gassing from the plumbing upstream of the trap, and solvent vapors can interfere.
(B) Sample contamination: Samples can be contaminated by diffusion of volatile organic compounds through the bottle seal during shipment and storage.
(C) Carry-over: Rinse the purging device and sample syringe with reagent water between samples.

Quality Control Requirements

The minimum requirements consist of an initial demonstration of laboratory capability, analysis of samples spiked with labeled compounds to evaluate and document data quality, and analysis of standards and blanks as tests of continued performance.

Sample Handling

Collect grab samples in glass containers having a total volume greater than 20 mL. Make sure no air bubbles are entrapped and maintain the hermetic seal until analysis. Store at 0-4^oC from time of collection until analysis. If residual chlorine is present, add 10mg/40mL of sodium thiosulfate prior to collection. Adjust pH to about 2 by adding HCl (1+1) while stirring.

Maximum Holding Time

14 days (after collection)

Relative Cost

Greater than $400

Sample Preparation Methods

None.

This method has 35 analytes associated with it.

Analyte	Detection Level	Bias	Precision
1,1,1-Trichloroethane(71-55-6) 1,1,1-Trichloroethane Baltana Chlorothene Ethane, 1,1,1-trichloro- Methyl chloroform TCEA	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane(79-34-5) 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane Acetylenetetrachloride Bonoform Cellon Ethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro- sym-Tetrachloroethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,1,2-Trichloroethane(79-00-5) 1,1,2-Trichloroethane Ethane, 1,1,2-trichloro- Vinyltrichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,1-Dichloroethane(75-34-3) 1,1-Dichloroethane Ethane, 1,1-dichloro- Ethylidene Chloride Ethylidene dichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,1-Dichloroethene(75-35-4) 1,1-Dichloroethene 1,1-Dichloroethylene Ethene, 1,1-dichloro- Ethylene, 1,1-dichloro-, inhibited Vinylidene chloride Vinylidenechloride Vinylidine chloride asym-Dichloroethylene	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,2-Dichloroethane(107-06-2) 1,2-Dichloroethane EDC Ethane, 1,2-dichloro- Ethylene Dichlorinde Ethylene dichloride Glycol dichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
1,2-Dichloropropane(78-87-5) 1,2-Dichloropropane Dichloropropane,alpha,beta- Nemex Propane, 1,2-dichloro- Propylene chloride Propylene dichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
2-Chloroethylvinyl ether(110-75-8) (2-chloroethoxy)-Ethene 2-Chloroethoxyethene 2-Chloroethylvinyl ether Ethene, (2-chloroethoxy)- beta-Chloroethyl vinyl ether	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Acetone(67-64-1) 2-Propanone Acetone Dimethylketone Pyroacetic ether beta-Ketopropane	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Acrolein(107-02-8) 2-Propen-1-one 2-Propenal Acraldehyde Acrolein Acrolein (Propenal) Acrylaldehyde Acrylic aldehyde Allyl aldehyde Aqualin Magnacide H Prop-2-en-1-al	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Acrylonitrile(107-13-1) 2-Propenenitrile Acrylofume Acrylonitrile Carbacryl Cyanoethylene Fumigrain VCN Ventox Vinyl cyanide	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Benzene(71-43-2) Benzene Benzol Coal naptha Cyclohexatriene Phene Pyrobenzol	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Bromodichloromethane(75-27-4) Bromodichloromethane Dichlorobromomethane Dichloromonobromomethane Methane, bromodichloro- Monobromodichloromethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Bromoform(75-25-2) Bromoform Methane, tribromo- Methenyl tribromide Tribromomethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Bromomethane(74-83-9) Bromomethane Methane, bromo Methyl bromide Monobromomethane	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Carbon tetrachloride(56-23-5) Benzinoform Carbon tetrachloride Methane tetrachloride Methane, tetrachloro- Perchloromethane Tetrachloromethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Chlorobenzene(108-90-7) Benzene chloride Benzene, chloro- Chlorobenzene MCB Monochlorobenzene Phenyl chloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Chloroethane(75-00-3) Chlorethyl Chloridum Chloroethane Chloryl Ethane, chloro Ethyl chloride Hydrochloric ether Monochloroethane Muriatic ether	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Chloroform(67-66-3) Chloroform Methane, trichloro- Trichloroform Trichloromethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Chloromethane(74-87-3) Chloromethane Methane, chloro Methyl chloride Monochloromethane	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Dibromochloromethane(124-48-1) Chlorodibromomethane Dibromochloromethane Methane, dibromochloro-	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Diethyl ether(60-29-7) 1,1'-Oxybisethane Diethyl ether Diethyl oxide Ethane, 1,1'-oxybis- Ethoxyethane Ethyl ether	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Ethylbenzene(100-41-4) Benzene, ethyl Ethyl benzene Ethylbenzene Ethylbenzol Phenylethane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Herbicides(E-12839) Herbicide formulations Herbicides	N/A	N/A	N/A
Methyl ethyl ketone(78-93-3) 2-Butanone Ethyl methyl ketone MEK Methyl acetone Methyl ethyl ketone	50.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Methylene chloride(75-09-2) Dichloromethane Methane dichloride Methane, dichloro- Methylene bichloride Methylene chloride Methylene dichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Tetrachloroethene(127-18-4) 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethene 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethylene Ethene, tetrachloro- Ethylenetetrachloride Perchloroethylene Perclene Tetrachloroethene Tetrachloroethylene	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Toluene(108-88-3) Benzene, methyl Methacide Methylbenzene Methylbenzol Phenylmethane Toluene Toluol	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Trichloroethene(79-01-6) 1,1,2-Trichloroethene 1,1,2-Trichloroethylene Ethene, trichloro Ethinyl trichloride Ethylene trichloride Ethylene, trichloro- TCE Tri-clene Trichloroethene Trichloroethylene	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Vinyl chloride(75-01-4) Chloroethene Ethene, chloro Ethene, chloro- Monochloroethylene Vinyl chloride Vinyl chloride (monomer)	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
Volatile organic compounds(E-12419) Organic compounds, volatile VOCs Volatile organic compounds	N/A	N/A	N/A
cis-1,3-Dichloropropene(10061-01-5) 1,3-Dichloropropene, (z) 1,3-cis-Dichloro-1-propene 1,3-cis-Dichloropropene 1,3-cis-Dichloropropylene 1-Propene, 1,3-dichloro-, (Z)- Telone II cis-1,3-Dichloropropene	N/A	N/A	N/A
p-Dioxane(123-91-1) 1,4-Diethylene dioxide 1,4-Diethylene oxide 1,4-Dioxacyclohexane 1,4-Dioxane Diethylene ether Glycol ethylene ether Tetrahydro-1,4-dioxin Tetrahydro-p-dioxin p-Dioxane	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
trans-1,2-Dichloroethene(156-60-5) 1,2-trans-Dichloroethene 1,2-trans-Dichloroethylene Acetylenedichloride, trans- Ethene, 1,2-dichloro-, (E)- trans-1,2-Dichloroethene trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene trans-Acetylene dichloride	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A
trans-1,3-Dichloropropene(10061-02-6) 1,3-Dichloropropene (trans) 1,3-trans-Dichloro-1-propene 1,3-trans-Dichloropropene 1,3-trans-Dichloropropylene 1-Propene, 1,3-dichloro-, (E)- trans-1,3-Dichloropropene	10.000 ug/L	N/A	N/A

Precision Descriptor Notes:
Detection Level Note:	This is a minimum level at which the analytical system shall give recognizable mass spectra (background corrected) and acceptable calibration points.

Revision	PDF/Link
40 CFR Part 136, Appendix A (Current Edition)

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EPA-EAD: 1624: Volatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS

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