SW-846 Update V PREFACE - 1 Revision 1

October 2012 **PREFACE AND OVERVIEW**

**PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL**

Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste **(SW-846) provides a unified, up-to-date source of information on sampling and analysis related to com**  **pliance with RCRA regulations. It brings together into**  **one reference all sampling and testing methodologie s approved by the Office of Solid Waste for use in**  **implementing the RCRA regulatory program. The manua l provides methodologies for collecting and testing**  **representative samples of waste and other materials to be monitored. Aspects of sampling and testing**  **in SW-846 include quality control, sampling plan devel**  **opment and implementation, analysis of inorganic an d**  **organic constituents, the estimation of intrinsic p hysical properties, and the appraisal of waste** 
**characteristics.**

**The procedures described in this manual are meant t o be comprehensive and detailed, coupled with**  **the realization that the problems encountered in sa mpling and analytical situations require a certain**  **amount of flexibility. The solutions to these problems wi**  **ll depend, in part, on the skill, training, and exp erience of**  **the analyst. For some situations, it is possible to use this manual in rote fashion. In other situati**  **ons, it will require a combination of technical abilities, using**  **the manual as guidance rather than in a step-by-st ep,**  **word-by-word fashion. Although this puts an extra burden on the user, it is unavoidable because of th**  **e variety of sampling and analytical conditions found**  **with hazardous wastes.**

**ORGANIZATION AND FORMAT**

**This manual is divided into two volumes and thirtee n chapters. Volume I focuses on laboratory**  **activities and is divided into three sections: IA, IB, and IC. Volume IA deals with quality control p**  **rocedures, selection of appropriate test methods, and analytic**  **al methods for inorganic species. Volume IB consis ts of**  **methods for organic analytes. Volume IC includes a variety of test methods for miscellaneous analytes**  **and properties, including for use in evaluating whether**  **a waste exhibits certain hazardous waste character istics.**  **Volume II deals with sample acquisition and include s quality control, sampling plan design and**  **implementation, and field sampling methods. Discus sions regarding ground water monitoring, land**  **treatment monitoring, and incineration are also inc luded in Volume II.** 

**Volume I begins with an overview of the quality con trol procedures that should be adhered to during**  **application of the sampling and analysis methods. The quality control chapter (Chapter One) and the**  **method chapters are interdependent. The analytical procedures cannot be used without a thorough**  **understanding of the quality control requirements a nd the means to implement them. This understanding**  **can be achieved only by reviewing Chapter One and t he analytical methods together. It is expected tha**  **t individual laboratories, using SW-846 as the refere**  **nce source, will select appropriate methods and dev elop**  **a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed by the laboratory. The SOP should incorporate the**  **pertinent information from this manual adopted to t he specific needs and circumstances of the individu**  **al laboratory as well as to the materials to be evalua**  **ted.**

**The method selection chapter (Chapter Two) presents a comprehensive discussion of the application** 
**of these methods to various matrices in the determi nation of groups of analytes or specific analytes.**  **It aids the chemist in constructing the correct analytical**  **method from the array of procedures which may cover the**  **matrix/analyte/concentration combination of interes ts. The section discusses the objective of the tes**  **ting program and its relationship to the choice of an an**  **alytical method. Flow charts and tables provide gu idance**  **in the selection of the correct analytical procedur es to form the appropriate method.** 

**The analytical methods are separated into distinct procedures describing specific, independent**  **analytical operations. These include extraction, di gestion, cleanup, and determination. This format a**  **llows linking of the various steps in the analysis accord**  **ing to the type of sample (e.g., water, soil, sludg e, still** SW-846 Update V PREFACE - 2 Revision 1

October 2012 **bottom); analytes(s) of interest, needed sensitivit y, and available analytical instrumentation. Howev**  **er, Chapters Five (Miscellaneous) and Six (Properties)**  **give complete methods which are not amenable to suc h**  **segmentation to form discrete procedures. The intr oductory material at the beginning of Chapters Thre**  **e (Inorganic Analytes) and Four (Organic Analytes) co**  **ntains information on sample handling and preservation, safety, and sample preparation.** 

**Part II, Characteristics, of Volume I describes the hazardous waste characteristics (Chapter Seven)** 
**and methods used to determine if the waste is hazar dous because it exhibits a particular characteristi**  **c (Chapters Seven and Eight).** 

**Volume II gives background information on statistic al and non-statistical aspects of sampling. It**  **also presents practical sampling techniques appropr iate for situations presenting a variety of physica**  **l**
**conditions.**

**Information regarding the regulatory aspects of sev eral monitoring categories is also found in Volume**  **II. These categories include ground water monitori ng (Chapter Eleven), land treatment (Chapter Twelve**  **), and incineration (Chapter Thirteen). The purpose o**  **f this guidance is to orient the user to the analyt ical**  **objective, and to assist in the development of data quality objectives, sampling plans, and SOPs.** 

**Significant interferences, or other problems, may b e encountered with certain samples. In these**  **situations, the analyst is advised to contact the M ethods Team (5307W), USEPA/OSW/EMRAD**  **1 , 401 M St.**  **SW, Washington, DC 20460 (703-308-8855) for assista nce. The manual is intended to serve all those with**  **a need to evaluate solid waste. Your comments, corre**  **ctions, suggestions, and questions concerning any material contained in, or omitted from, this manual**  **will be gratefully appreciated. Please direct you r**  **comments to the above address.**

**SW-846 METHOD NUMBERS**

**When published as a new method to SW-846, a method' s number does not include a letter suffix.**  **However, each time the method is revised and promul gated as part of an SW-846 update, it receives a ne**  **w letter suffix, i.e., a suffix of "A" indicates revi**  **sion one of that method, a suffix of "B" indicates revision two, etc.**  **In order to properly document the SW-846 method use d during analysis, the entire method number includi**  **ng the suffix letter designation**  **must be identified by the analyst. In addition, a method reference found within**  **the RCRA regulations and the text of SW-846 methods and chapters always refers to the latest promulgat**  **ed revision of the method, even if the method number a**  **t those locations does not include the appropriate letter** 
**suffix.**

**1 United States Environmental Protection Agency; Of**  **fice of Solid Waste; Economic, Methods, and Risk Analysis Division**