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Clean Water Act Analytical Methods

Approved Industry-Specific CWA Test Methods

""In addition to general purpose methods, EPA has approved special purpose analytical methods. These methods were developed to work in samples or for pollutants specific to certain industrial categories. For example, methods specific to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Pesticide Chemicals Effluent Guidelines categories are listed in Tables I-F and I-G, respectively, at 40 CFR Part 136.
 

Methods specific to other industrial categories are listed or incorporated by reference into the regulations at 40 CFR Parts 401 through 503. These include methods specific to the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard category (40 CFR Part 430), and specific to Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge (biosolids) (40 CFR Part 503). Industry-specific methods that are approved for compliance monitoring in the industry for which they are designated may be used for general use, if the same method is listed in Tables I-A to I-E, or I-H at 40 CFR 136.3.

On this page:

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Methods

Methods that may be used under 40 CFR Part 439

Approved Drinking Water Methods for Pharmaceutical Pollutants

Select each individual method

Number Method Title
502.2 Volatile Organic Compounds in Water by Purge and Trap Capillary Column Gas Chromatography with Photoionization and Electrolytic Conductivity Detectors in Series. Revision 2.1
524.2 Measurement of Purgeable Organic Compounds in Water by Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Revision 4.1
551 Chlorination Disinfection Byproducts, Chlorinated Solvents, and Halogenated Pesticides/Herbicides in Drinking Water by Liquid-Liquid Extraction and Gas Chromatography with Electron-Capture Detection. Revision 1.0
 

Other Approved Methods for Pharmaceutical Pollutants

Number Method Title
1624C Volatile Organic Compounds by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Revision C
1625C Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Revision C
1666 Volatile Organic Compounds Specific to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
1667 Formaldehyde, Isobutyraldehyde, and Furfural by Derivatization and High Performance Liquid Chromatography
1671 Volatile Organic Compounds Specific to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry by Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detector

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Pesticide Chemicals Methods

Methods that may be used under 40 CFR Part 455

Approved Drinking Water Methods for Pesticide Active Ingredients

Select each individual method

Note: These methods are approved for Clean Water Act compliance monitoring.
They are not approved for monitoring under Part 141 (Safe Drinking Water Act).
• More information on approved SDWA methods

Number Method Title
505 Organohalide Pesticides and Commercial Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Products in Water by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography. Revision 2.1
507 Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-Containing Pesticides in Water by Gas Chromatography with a Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detector. Revision 2.1
508 Chlorinated Pesticides in Water by Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector. Revision 3.1
508.1 Chlorinated Pesticides, Herbicides, and Organohalides by Liquid-Solid Extraction and Electron Capture Gas Chromatography. Revision 2.0
515.1 Chlorinated Acids in Water by Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector. Revision 4.1
515.2 Chlorinated Acids in Water Using Liquid-Solid Extraction and Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector. Revision 1.1
525.1 Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Liquids-Solid Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Revision 2.2
531.1 N-Methylcarbamoyloximes and N-Methylcarbamates in Water by Direct Aqueous Injection High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Post Column Derivatization. Revision 3.1
547 Glyphosate in Drinking Water by Direct-Aqueous-Injection High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Post-Column Derivatization, and Fluorescence Detection
548 Endothall in Drinking Water by Aqueous Derivatization, Liquid-Solid Extraction, and Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection
548.1 Endothall in Drinking Water by Ion Exchange Extraction, Acidic Methanol Methylation and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Revision 1.0
553 Benzidines and Nitrogen-Containing Pesticides in Water by Liquid-Liquid Extraction or Liquid-Solid Extraction and Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Particle Beam/Mass Spectrometry. Revision 1.1
555 Chlorinated Acids in Water by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Photodiode Array Ultraviolet Detector. Revision 1.0
 

Other Approved Methods for Pesticide Active Ingredients

Number Method Title
200.7 Metals and Trace Elements in Water and Wastes by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. Revision 5
200.9 Trace Elements by Stabilized Temperature Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Revision 2.2
608 Organochlorine Pesticides and PCBs
608.1 Organochlorine Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
608.2 Certain Organochlorine Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
614 Organophosphorus Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
614.1 Organophosphorus Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
615 Chlorinated Herbicides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
617 Organohalide Pesticides and PCBs in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
619 Triazine Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
622 Organophosphorus Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
622.1 Thiophosphate Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
625 Base/Neutrals and Acids
627 Dinitroaniline Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
629 Cyanazine in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
630 Dithiocarbamate Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
630.1 Dithiocarbamates Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
631 Benomyl and Carbendazim in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
632 Carbamate and Urea Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
632.1 Carbamate and Amide Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
633 Organonitrogen Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
633.1 Neutral Nitrogen-Containing Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewaters
637 MBTS and TCMTB in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
645 Certain Amine Pesticides and Lethane in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1625B Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Revision B
1625C Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Revision C
1656 Organohalide Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1657 Organophosphorus Pesticides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1658 Phenoxy-Acid Herbicides in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1659 Dazomet in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1660 Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
1661 Bromoxynil in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater

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