Methodology and Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Environmental Analysis - Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling and Analysis - page 104

Part 4000 Inorganic nonmetallic constituents
Part 5000 Aggregate organic constituents
Part 6000 Individual organic compounds
Part 7000 Radioactivity
Part 8000 Toxicity
Part 9000 Microbiological examination
Part 10,000 Biological examination.
Aggregate properties include regularly monitored water quality parameters
such as color, turbidity, odor, taste, acidity, alkalinity, hardness, conductivity,
salinity, solids, and temperature. Aggregate organic constituents include important
water and wastewater parameters such as BOD, COD, TOC, oil and grease, phenols,
and surfactants. Many of the APHA methods have been adopted by the U.S. EPA,
particularly trace elements and individual and nonindividual (aggregate) organic
compounds. Since the EPA does not have any counterpart microbiological testing
methods, in many of the environmental projects, the APHA method manual for
microbiological testing is commonly used.
ASTM Methods
Entitled ''Annual Book of ASTM Standards,'' the ASTM methods manual has a
total of 77 volumes with more than 12,000 standard methods covering methods
used in various industries as well as in the environmental field. It is updated yearly
by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Its once wide use has
recently decreased because the expensive method manual has to be purchased from
the ASTM. The EPA approved many of the ASTM methods for compliance
monitoring under the CWA. Environmental professionals often use some of the
methods for remediation-related methods, such as soil properties including soil
organic content, porosity, permeability, soil grain size, or the properties of
petroleum products contained in the subsurface including viscosity, density, and
specific gravity.
The ASTM methods are named as Dxxxx. For instance, D4700-91 is standard
guide for soil sampling from the vadose zone. Important methods related to
environmental analysis are located in Section 11 of the Water and Environmental
Technology, including the following:
Volumes 11.01-11.02 contain standard procedures for assessing water
Volume 11.03 contains sampling and analysis of atmospheres (ambient,
indoor air, and workplace atmospheres), and occupational health and safety
aspects of working in various environments
Volume 11.04 contains environmental assessment (Phase I and Phase II),
hazardous substances and oil spill response, and waste management (e.g.,
sampling and monitoring, physical and chemical characterization).