SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1990
STP18951S

Comparison of TOX and GC/MS Data for RCRA Groundwater Monitoring Well Samples

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The method for the analysis of total organic halogen (TOX) was developed as a means to trace the products of disinfection in drinking water. It was intended to measure, collectively, compounds such as trihalomethanes and halogenated ethanes. Briefly, the method involves passing a measured amount of sample through a column of activated carbon, followed by pyrolysis of the carbon and analysis of the gases produced for total halogen (as chloride) by microcoulometric titration. It has been shown to produce good recoveries for spiked deionized water and for other simple, fairly clean waters that are free of turbidity. This method is documented as Method 9020 in SW-846 (Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste).

RCRA regulations require the monitoring of TOX as an indicator of groundwater contamination at many hazardous waste management facilities (40 CFR 265.92). Method 9020 is recommended as an economical method for TOX analysis. Another way of measuring TOX is to analyze samples for volatile and semivolatile organics by GC/MS (SW-846 Methods 8240 and 8270) and calculating the sum of the halogen contents (as chloride) of all compounds that are found.

Samples from RCRA groundwater monitoring wells are generally more complex than the drinking water samples that were analyzed when Method 9020 was initially evaluated. In the Region II laboratory we have analyzed many groundwater samples by Method 9020 and by Methods 8240 and 8270. This report is a presentation of a preliminary comparison of the results obtained by these two techniques.

Author Information

Pruskin, SL
Voo, L
Mason, RM
Lillian, D
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Developed by Committee: D34
Pages: 3–14
DOI: 10.1520/STP18951S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5123-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1293-3