Field screening method for polychlorinated biphenyl compounds in water. Interim report, February 1993-March 1994

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:6650732

Lin, S; Poziomek, E J

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been exploring the complexation of silver ions with certain organic pollutants as part of a search for alternative low-cost, rapid, field screening, methods. The result is a rapid, easy, and inexpensive procedure for determining polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water. Based on previous testing of samples by General Electric Corporate Research and Development, a co-sponsor of this project, there was a special interest in developing a field-screening procedure of PCB aqueous extracts performed from a current soil remediation procedure in which the extractant contained 1-3% surfactant by weight to enhance solubility of PCBs. A test was developed, based on forming complexes of PCBs with silver ions, which was followed by UV irradiation to yield metallic silver. The appearance of a gray-to-brown color, depending on PCB concentration signaled the presence of PCBs. This method allows the test color to be directly compared with color charts to estimate the PCB concentration without the need for instrumentation.

• Research Organization: Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States). Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies
• OSTI ID: 6650732
• Report Number(s): PB-95-129078/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
DETECTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
FIELD TESTS
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MONITORING
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PROGRESS REPORT
TESTING
WATER
WATER POLLUTION