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Analytical Methods Developed by the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
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The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water's Technical Support Center (TSC) is one of the EPA offices responsible for developing analytical methods for drinking water. TSC developed, or participated in the development of, many methods for determining the concentrations of chemical and microbial contaminants in drinking water.
Many of the chemical methods developed by TSC are approved for analyses of compliance or unregulated contaminant monitoring samples under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Laboratories can verify that a method is approved by checking the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 141). Listings of approved methods for each regulation are also available on the Analytical Methods Web page. Questions or comments about these methods should be addressed to the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791, or online.
- On this page
Individual Chemical Methods Available for Download
1 This method is published in "Methods for the Determination of Organic and Inorganic Compounds in Drinking Water, Volume 1" (EPA 815-R-00-014) which is available through EPA’s digital publications National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database.
Additional Chemical Methods
Additional Chemical Methods listed below are included in “Methods for the Determination of Organic Chemicals in Drinking Water, Supplement III" (EPA/600/R-95/131) which is available through EPA’s digital publications National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database.
Most of the individual methods are also available for download from the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI).
| EPA Method Number | Method Title |
|---|---|
| 504.1 | 1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB), 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP), and 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (123TCP) in Water by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 507 | Determination of Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-Containing Pesticides in Water by Gas Chromatography with a Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detector (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 508 | Determination of Chlorinated Pesticides in Water by Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 508.1 | Determination of Chlorinated Pesticides, Herbicides, and Organohalides by Liquid-Solid Extraction and Electron Capture Gas Chromatography (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 509 | Determination of Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) in Water using Gas Chromatography with a Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detector |
| 515.1 | Determination of Chlorinated Acids in Water by Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector |
| 531.1 | Measurement of N-Methylcarbamoyloximes and N-Methylcarbamates in Water by Direct Aqueous Injection HPLC with Post Column Derivatization (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 551.1 | Determination of chlorination disinfection Byproducts, Chlorinated Solvents, and Halogenated Pesticides/Herbicides in Drinking Water by Liquid-Liquid Extraction and Gas Chromatography with Electron-Capture Detection (Available for download from NEMI) |
| 552.2 | Determination of Haloacetic Acids and Dalapon in Drinking Water by Liquid-Liquid Extraction, Derivatization and Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection (Available for download from NEMI) |
Individual Microbial Methods Available for Download
| EPA Method Number | Method Title |
|---|---|
| 1605 | Aeromonas in Finished Water by Membrane Filtration using Ampicillin-Dextrin Agar with Vancomycin (ADA-V) PDF (36pp, 443K) (This method was jointly developed with EPA’s Office of Research and Development.) |
Lowest Concentration Minimum Reporting Level (LCMRL)
For the past several years, EPA has been working on a procedure to determine the Lowest Concentration Minimum Reporting Level (LCMRL). The LCMRL is defined as the lowest spiking concentration such that the probability of spike recovery in the 50% to 150% range is at least 99%. LCMRLs are laboratory- and method-specific, and were used by EPA to determine Minimum Reporting Levels (MRLs) for use in the second Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR 2). In addition, EPA’s Technical Support Center (TSC) personnel are looking into the potential to expand the use of the LCMRL in EPA programs. Laboratories will only be required to demonstrate their ability to quantitate at the MRLs specified in 40 CFR 141.40. Therefore, there is no requirement, nor associated financial burden, for laboratories to determine LCMRLs.
EPA recently revised the equations within the LCMRL calculator that perform the data regression. Rather than using linear or weighted linear regressions, the revised LCMRL calculator uses advanced statistics to minimize the error at each concentration. The revised calculator is currently undergoing peer review and will be posted to this site when that review is completed. A report describing LCMRL and the current LCMRL calculator are available electronically below.
- Statistical Protocol for the Determination of the Single-Laboratory Lowest Concentration Minimum Reporting Level (LCMRL) and Validation of Laboratory Performance at or Below the Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) PDF (28pp, 347K)
- Calculator Application (Self-extracting ZIP File) (12M) - A computer application to calculate LCMRLs
Workshops on Microbial Methods Development
Workshop on the Large Volume Sample Preparation for Waterborne Pathogens, April 4-5, 2006
- Meeting Summary PDF (23pp, 442K)
Workshop on the Feasibility of Using DNA/RNA Microarrays and Related Technologies for High Through-Put Detection of Waterborne Pathogens, March 22-23, 2005
- Meeting Summary PDF (29pp, 156K)
- Bibliography PDF (372pp, 2M)
Workshop to Develop a Protocol for Reliable Genetic Methods for the Detection of Viruses, for Use in EPA’s Water Programs, January 15-16, 2003