A Rapid Method for Determination of Total Organic Halogens in Industrial Waste Samples
SourceA rapid method for determining total organic halogens (TOX) in industrial waste samples has been developed and validated. Total organic halogens is an indicator parameter specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be of environmental significance as representative of toxic organic halogenated compounds. The validation study included 36 compounds representing all halogenated organic classes on the EPA priority pollutant list. The recovery data indicate that the method is quantitative for all halogenated organic classes with a detection limit of 3.5 ppm (micrograms per gram) as inorganic chloride [approximately 6.5 ppm polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)]. The analysis can be performed within 20 min and can be used to screen hazardous waste samples for PCBs at the 50-ppm enforcement limit of the Toxic Substances Control Act.