Methods for the determination of organic substances in water and fluvial sediments, USGS TWRI, Book 5, Laboratory analysis, Chapter A3

This manual contains analytical methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the determination of organic substances in water, water-suspended sediment mixtures, and bottom material. Some of the analytical procedures yield determinations for specific compounds, whereas others provide a measure of the quantity of groups of compounds present in the sample. Examples of the first category are procedures for the organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, chlorophenoxy acid and triazine herbicides and specific substituted phenols. Examples of the second category are the various organic carbon analyses and the polychlorinated biphenyl methods. Each analytical method is presented in a standardized format which includes conditions for application of the method, a summary of the method, interferences, required apparatus and reagents, analytical procedures, calculations, reporting of results, and estimation of precision.