1. SW-846 Methods Program Update and Path Forward
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Office of Land and Emergency Response (OLEM)
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR)
Christina Langlois-Miller

2. Topics to be Covered Update VI Update VII
Future Projects and Collaboration
Contact Information
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

3. SW-846 Compendium Method approved by SW-846 Workgroup
Method goes to OMB for review (~4 months)
Methods posted for public comment on SW-846 Validated Methods website
Method users are notified via mailing list
Contact to sign up for mailing list
Response to Comments document posted with final method in SW-846 Compendium
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

4. Update VI Phased Release for Public Comment
Phase I: Method 1340: In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Lead in Soil – Finalized Nov 28, 2017
Phase II: Methods 8260D and 8270E: Volatile and Semivolatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS – Finalized July 12, 2018
Phase III – 4 Inorganic LEAF Methods (1313, 1314, 1315, 1316) and the User Guide - Ongoing
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

5. Update VI Phase II
Methods 8260D and 8270E - Volatile and Semivolatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS
Finalized: July 12, 2018
Revised to include:
Analytes frequently found in Superfund sites
Optional use of hydrogen as carrier gas to address helium supply shortage
Advanced measurement technologies (SIM, CI, GC-MS/MS)
Updated tuning requirements
Efforts made to ensure consistency and possible harmonization among EPA methods
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

6. Update VI Phase III - LEAF
Public Comment Period Closed January 31, 2018
Expected Final Publication: Spring 2019
Equilibrium-based leaching tests
Measure contaminant release related to:
Method 1313 – pH dependence & titration curve
Method 1316 – LS dependence
Percolation (column) leaching tests
Method 1314 – upflow column, local equilibrium (LS ratio)
Mass transport rate-based leaching tests
Method 1315 – monolith & compacted granular options
LEAF User Guide
Technical guide on using LEAF tests within a leaching assessment
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

7. Update VII - Inorganic
Method 3050C – Acid Digestion of Sediments, Sludges, and Soils
Strong acid digestion to dissolve almost all elements that could become “environmentally available”
Updates include:
One procedure for ICP-OES and ICP-MS analysis
Reduced amount of HCl added earlier in the procedure
New Appendix B – added to address Incremental Sampling
Proof of concept – completed Fall 2018
Anticipating revision of draft method based on results
Multi-lab validation - pending
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

8. Update VII - Ignitability Methods
Proposing revision of two EPA methods required by 40 CFR (a)(1), 1010A and 1020B, refer to two ASTM standards from
Outdated, instrumentation no longer commercially available
Reference or require mercury thermometers
Two new test methods for flash point of waste materials – accepted by ASTM for publication in Spring 2018
Proposing removal of mercury thermometer requirements to five additional EPA SW-846 methods, which are Method Defined Parameters (MDP)
SW-846 Methods 10, 11, 20, 23A, 51
MDPs do not allow for flexibility to use non-mercury thermometers
Proposed rule signed March 21, 2019
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

9. Update VII - PFAS PFAS Analysis Background
EPA OW developed Method 537 for drinking water in 2009
14 PFAS compounds using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by LC/MS/MS
537.1 published in 2018 for 18 PFAS compounds
In May 2016, EPA issued drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS (70 ppt)
Currently no validated EPA method for the analysis of PFAS in other environmental media
A cross-agency workgroup (OLEM, OW, ORD, and Regions) was charged with the development of:
multi-lab validated method(s) for other matrices
sampling, handling and storage protocols
internal and external lab capacity assessment
4th bullet: To assess for potential human exposure to PFAS in drinking water, EPA-approved commercial drinking water laboratories successfully analyzed finished (treated) drinking water samples for six PFAS monitored under the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3). For the UCMR3 analyses, laboratories used EPA Method 537, which also includes eight additional PFAS analytes not listed on the UCMR3. EP A Method 537 is revised (Rev 1.1) to measure PFOA in a more comprehensive way that allows laboratories to more consistently account for both forms of PFOA (linear, the dominant form and branch-chained, the less common form). The approach is more inclusive and more protective.
5th bullet: Some U.S. laboratories are using modified methods for non-drinking water samples based on EPA Method 537. These modified methods have no consistent sample collection guidelines and have not been validated nor systematically assessed for data quality.
6th bullet:
EPA's health advisories are non-enforceable and non-regulatory. Many states have more stringent thresholds.
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

10. Update VII - PFAS SW-846 PFAS Methods
Method 8327 – direct injection and external standard method for non-potable waters
Uses isotopically labeled compounds as surrogates
24 PFAS compounds – not GenX
Method 8328 – SPE and isotope dilution method for non-potable waters and solids (soil, sediment, biota)
Addition of isotopically labeled internal standards (IS) prior to SPE
25 PFAS compounds – including GenX
Method A – In , the EPA Region 5 Chicago Regional Laboratory (CRL) published two ASTM International methods (ASTM D , and ASTM D ) for the analysis of select PFAS in solids and water.
matrices.
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

11. Update VII - PFAS Multi-laboratory validation study Method 8327
6 EPA labs validated for non-potable waters (GW, SW, WW)
10 external labs validated for non-potable waters, Fall 2018
Anticipate to release validated method for public comment, April 2019 (pending OMB review decision)
Method 8328
Method is being drafted for non-potable waters and solids
Anticipate to complete validation studies in 2019
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

12. Future Projects Inorganic
Method 1340A – In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Lead and Arsenic in Soil
Method 3060B – Alkaline Digestion for Hexavalent Chromium (collaboration with USGS)
Method 6200A – Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for the Determination of Elemental Concentrations in Soil and Sediment
Method 3110 – Extraction of Seafood for Arsenic Species (Region 10)
Method 6870 – Arsenic Speciation Analysis in Seafood Using IC/ICP-MS (Region 10)
Method 6850A - Perchlorate in Water, Soils, and Solid Wastes Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization/Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/ESI/MS)
Method 6860A - Perchlorate in Water, Soils, and Solid Wastes Using Ion Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization/Mass Spectrometry (IC/ESI/MS)
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

13. Future Projects Organic
Method 8330B - Nitroaromatics and Nitramines by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Method 5030D - Purge-and-Trap for Aqueous Samples
Method 5035B - Closed-System Purge-and-Trap and Extraction for Volatile Organics in Soil and Waste Samples
Method 8261B - Volatile Organic Compounds by Vacuum Distillation in Combination with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (VD/GC/MS)
Methods for Organic Leaching (Collaboration with OSRTI, ORD and academia)
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting

14. Contact Information
Methods Home Page:
Kim Kirkland – Chief, Waste Characterization Branch
Phone: (703)
Christina Langlois-Miller – Chemist
Phone: (703)
March 27, 2019
ACIL Meeting