New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 18 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE CERTIFICATION OF LABORATORIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS › Subchapter 7 - TOXICITY TESTING › Section 7:18-7.3 - Laboratory equipment, instruments and materials

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) A laboratory
				performing toxicity tests shall have, on the premises and under the control of
				the laboratory supervisor, equipment and instruments that satisfy the
				requirements of (a)1 through 14 below and
				7:18-3.3.
1. For materials used in the construction of
				toxicity testing systems, test organism culturing systems, and sample
				collection, handling, and transport systems:
i. The laboratory shall use only materials
				listed as "Approved" in Table 7.3 below for the type of test organism in
				question.
Table 7.3
Materials for constructing toxicity testing systems,
test organism culturing systems, and
sample collection, handling and transport systems
Test Organisms
Material
Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Glass, borosilicate, tempered, or soda
						lime
Approved
Approved
Stainless steel, # 304 or
						316
Approved
Approved
Medical grade or food contact silicone,
						sealant,
Approved
Approved
tubing, and stoppers
Perfluorocarbon
						plastics
Approved
Approved
Polyethylene, white or
						clear
Approved
Approved
Polypropylene
Approved
Approved
Polycarbonate
Approved
Approved
Polystyrene
Approved
Approved
Acrylic
Approved
Approved
Tygon (R), clear or black
Approved
Not
						Approved
(except for
Mysids)
Nylon
Approved
Approved
Fiberglass
Approved
Approved
Potable water or food contact grade
						polyvinyl
Approved
Approved
chloride
Rubber, Neoprene and Gum Latex
Not
						Appro
Not Approved
ved
Ceramic (Aluminum
						Oxide)
Approved
Approved
ii. The
				laboratory shall use glass, stainless steel, ceramic and perfluorocarbon
				plastics whenever possible for components that come in contact with wastewater
				samples;
iii. If the laboratory
				uses silicone, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, Tygon(R), polycarbonate and
				polystyrene plastics for a component that comes in contact with wastewater
				samples, it shall either discard the component after a single use, or
				demonstrate that the component can be decontaminated, without significant
				degradation, by one or more cleaning procedures listed in
				7:18-7.4(c). To
				demonstrate that the component can be decontaminated, the laboratory shall:
(1) Clean the component in accordance with
				the applicable procedures under
				7:18-7.4(c)  after
				using the component to conduct a compliance toxicity test;
(2) Remove the component, taking an adequate
				sample of each type of material being used;
(3) Segregate each type of material into a
				separate container, just large enough to completely immerse the materials in
				laboratory pure water. The laboratory shall have cleaned the container using
				the procedure under
				7:18-7.4(c) 
				appropriate to the test organism used;
(4) Soak the component in laboratory pure
				water for 24 hours;
(5) Decant a
				sufficient volume of water from each container (or groups of containers of like
				materials) to analyze for the organic compounds, metals and trace elements
				listed in 7:18-7.4(b)1;
(6) Perform an analysis for each type of
				material for which the laboratory seeks approval; and
(7) Forward the analytical results to the
				Department. The Department shall approve the use of the material only if the
				analytical results show that there is no significant degradation of the
				material, or cross-over of contamination.
iv. The use of polyvinylchloride, fiberglass,
				and acrylics shall only be for holding, acclimating, and rearing system
				components and for dilution water storage and delivery system components.
				Before use, the laboratory shall test every batch of these materials for
				toxicity to the pertinent test organisms. The laboratory shall retain the
				documentation of such tests;
v. The
				laboratory shall not use Tygon(R) for components used in an invertebrate
				testing, holding, acclimating or rearing system except for Mysids. If the
				laboratory uses bakelite components in an invertebrate testing, holding,
				acclimating or rearing system, and if that bakelite is heated to sterilization
				temperatures, the laboratory shall not allow any other system components to
				come in contact with either the bakelite or the fumes arising from the
				bakelite;
vi. The laboratory shall
				not use in toxicity testing any material that is not listed in Table 7.3,
				without first obtaining the Department's written approval. To obtain the
				Department's approval, the laboratory shall test the material's toxicity to the
				pertinent test organisms and submit documentation of the testing to the
				Department. The Department shall approve the material only if the documentation
				demonstrates that the material does not exhibit toxic or subtoxic effects (that
				is, decreased brood size in invertebrate test organisms) to the test organisms;
				and
vii. Except for materials
				labeled and sold as either, "medical grade" or "food grade," the laboratory
				shall clean all new materials before using them. The laboratory shall follow
				the following cleaning procedure:
(1) Wash
				the materials with a solution consisting of a detergent and hot tap water.
				Prepare the solution according to the detergent manufacturer's instructions. Be
				sure that the detergent is of a type that leaves no toxic residue;
(2) Rinse the materials well with hot tap
				water to remove all traces of detergent;
(3) If the material is all-glass laboratory
				ware or perfluorocarbon plastic material, and has a capacity less than or equal
				to four liters, then soak glassware in 10 percent hydrochloric acid (HCl) for
				at least one hour to remove heavy metal contamination. If the material is
				all-glass laboratory ware or perfluorocarbon plastic material, and has a
				capacity greater than four liters, then rinse it at least twice with 10 percent
				HCl. After soaking or rinsing with acid, rinse twice or more with laboratory
				pure water to remove all traces of acid; and
(4) If the material is perfluorocarbon
				plastic, rinse it twice with full strength acetone, then rinse it at least
				twice with laboratory pure water and air or oven dry it.