Analytical Methods and References

On this page:

Region 9 Analytical Services
Contact Laboratory Program
EPA Environmental Test Methods and Guidance
Other Government Methods and References
Commonly Used Chemistry Method References

Region 9 Analytical Services

Laboratory testing of soil, water and/or air samples for hazardous chemicals may be conducted through the EPA Contract Laboratory Program and EPA Regional Laboratory Program. Laboratory analysis time is scheduled through the Regional Sample Control Coordinator (RSCC) in the EPA Region 9 Laboratory before a sampling event takes place.

Region 9 Lab Web Site

Contract Laboratory Program

The EPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) is a national network of EPA personnel, commercial laboratories, and support contractors whose fundamental mission is to provide data of known and documented quality for EPA’s Superfund program. CLP analytical services are based on proven and tested EPA analytical methods, and are used by CLP laboratories for the isolation, detection, and measurement of the CLP's target compounds and analytes. The CLP currently offers the following routine analytical services:

Superfund Analytical Services/Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) Documents

Superfund CLP Guidelines for Field Samplers
This document is designed for field samplers to help clarify sampling procedures necessary to submit samples for CLP analysis

EPA Environmental Test Methods and Guidances

NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the files with PDF notation on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.

Office of Solid Waste SW-846 Manual
Office of Solid Waste's compendium of analytical and sampling methods.

Guidelines for Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants (PDF) (333 pp, 2MB) Analytical method requirements for waste water discharge permits under NDPES.

Inorganic Chemical Sampling and Analytical Requirements (PDF) (11 pp, 113K) and Organic Chemicals, Sampling and Analytical Requirements (PDF) (12 pp, 106K) Analytical method requirements requirements for public drinking water analysis.

Office of Water Analytical Methods for Drinking Water
Analytical methods approved for drinking water compliance monitoring, technical notes on drinking water methods, analytical methods developed by the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, and current issues related to analytical methods.

Handbook for Analytical Quality Control in Water and Wastewater Laboratories (PDF) (164 pp, 1MB) Guidance on laboratory quality control for drinking water and wastewater analytical methods.

Analytical Methods Developed by the Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water Analytical methods for the analysis of groundwater and drinking water.

Water Science Analytical Methods Analytical methods for the chemical and biological analysis of wastewater, drinking water, sediment and other environmental samples that are required by regulations under the authority of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

National Environmental Methods Index A free searchable clearinghouse of analytical methods and procedures for both regulatory and non-regulatory monitoring purposes.

Microbiology Home Page
Resources related to microorganisms, including analytical methods for Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Total Coliforms, E. Coli, Enterococci, Aeromonas, Coliphage, and viruses

Sources of EPA Test Methods (EPA Method Index)
This links to an alphabetical listing of EPA methods by type of test procedure or analyte, on EPA's National Web site. This provides a cross reference to the method/analyte name, method number, and document number.

Office of Research and Development (ORD) Recently Developed Methods
Recently developed analytical methods for drinking water and marine water.

National Environmental Publications Information System (NEPIS)
A database of over 7,000 EPA documents, including analytical methods

Other Government Methods and References

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Manual of Analytical Methods
A collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.

Pesticide Analytical Manual
The Pesticide Analytical Manual is published by FDA as a repository of the analytical methods used in FDA laboratories to examine food for pesticide residues for regulatory purposes.

Commonly Used Chemistry Method References

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 21st Edition, 2005
Reference for many wastewater and drinking water methods of analyses. This is available from some scientific equipment vendors or directly from the American Public Health Association, 1015 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, EPA-600/4-79-020, March 1979 and Revised March 1983
This document contains the 0 to 400 series of water analysis methods for conventional pollutants, such as BOD, COD, nitrogen species, phosphorus, pH, metals, etc. This document is available from ORD Publications, CERI, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268.

Top of page

Region 9 Topics and Programs | A-Z Index