The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced last month that its Remediation Division will require that solid samples for VOC analysis must be collected and prepared using US EPA SW-846 Method 5035A procedures as of January 1, 2016.
After December 31, 2015, the TCEQ Remediation Division will reject VOC data reported for solid samples, such as soil samples, collected and prepared using another method when the data are intended to demonstrate compliance with the rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapters 334, 335, or 350.
Soil/solid samples collected for VOC analysis must undergo preparation prior to analysis. The purge-and-trap preparation procedure is the most common preparatory method for VOC analysis (e.g., analysis using SW846 methods 8260, 8021, and 8011). Method 5035A describes the procedures for collecting solid samples and preparing the samples for VOC analysis using purge-and-trap technology.
Clients with operations in Texas will want to pay particular attention to this issue as there are field collection and analytical considerations of which to be aware.
If you have operations and site responsibility in states other than Texas, Method 5035 may still apply to your site. This blog post, the first in a series of four, will provide useful information about the newly required method. Environmental Standards senior scientists have been retained to provide training on Method 5035 since 1998 and have conducted hundreds of field and laboratory audits throughout the country for compliance with, amongst other things, Method 5035. Check back for future blog posts in our Method 5035 series as we cover:
- Method 5035 History & Requirements
- Method 5035 Texas-Specific Requirements
- Method 5035 Sampling, Analytical Considerations & Best Practices