USGS-NWQL: O-3100: Carbon, organic, total (mg/L as C)
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Official Method Name
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Carbon, organic, total, wet oxidation |
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Current Revision
| Revised 1983 |
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Media
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WATER |
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Instrumentation
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Elemental Analyzer |
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Method Subcategory
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Organic |
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Method Source
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Citation
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Methods for the Determination of Organic Substances in Water and Fluvial Sediments, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey, Book 5, Chapter A3 Edited by R.L. Wershaw, M.J. Fishman, R.R Grabbe, and L.E. Lowe |
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Brief Method Summary
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The sample is acidified, purged to remove inorganic forms of carbon, and oxidized with persulfate in an autoclave at 116-130oC. The resultant carbon dioxide is measured by nondispersive infrared spectrometry. |
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Scope and Application
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This method is suitable for the analysis of water, water-suspended-sediment mixtures, brines, and waste waters containing at least 0.1 mg/L of total organic carbon (TOC). The method is not suitable for the determination of volatile organic constituents. |
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Applicable Concentration Range
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> 0.1 mg/L |
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Interferences
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Inorganic forms of carbon usually present in most waters are readily converted to carbon dioxide when acidified but will interfere if the sample is not purged adequately. Purgeable organic compounds are lost during this step. Water samples containing large concentrations of reducing agents interfere by decomposing the persulfate oxidant. |
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Quality Control Requirements
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CAL, QCS |
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Sample Handling
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Container Description: 125 mL Glass bottle, amber. Treatment and Preservation: Bottle baked at 450 o C by laboratory. DO NOT RINSE BOTTLE. Chill sample and maintain at 4 o C; ship immediately. |
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Maximum Holding Time
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14 days |
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Relative Cost
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Less than $50 |
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Sample Preparation Methods
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