Water Analysis Information At UCR
Analyte – The thing you want to analyze for. It could be a chemical (i.e. octane) or a characteristic (i.e. pH).
Areas of the Library where you may find information (Reference and stacks):
Analytical Chemistry
Agriculture
Spectroscopy (physics)
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Subject headings:
Drinking water -- Analysis
Pollutants -- Analysis.
Water -- Analysis
Sewage -- Analysis
Organic compounds -- Analysis.
Organic water pollutants -- Analysis
Environmental sampling -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Chemistry, Analytic -- Laboratory manuals.
Useful Sources:
1. Compilation of EPA's sampling and analysis methods edited by Lawrence H. Keith. c1996.
Science Reference TD193 .C65 1996
Contains 1700 methods of analysis
Chemical Table of Contents
CAS number Table of Contents
The book is arranged by chemical. Each chemical may have multiple entries.
Entries include the following headings, though not consistently.
Chemical (or element)
EPA Method #
CAS#
Title: Title of analytical method
Matrix: Typical situation in which the method is used
Application: Chemicals detected by method
Method Summary: sometimes contains information that would go into matrix and application.
Interferences
Instrumentation
Precision & Accuracy
Range
Sample Collection, Preservation
Stability
MDL – Method detection limit
PQL factors for multiplying x FID MDL Value – Practical quantitation limit
MHT
Sample Preparation
Quality Control
References
Problems: No index by: Method name, Application, matrix, method number, instrumentation etc…. This book could be incredibly useful, but winds up being confusing and not terribly accessible.
2. Patnaik, Pradyot.
Handbook of environmental analysis : chemical pollutants in air, water, soil, and solid wastes.
Boca Raton : CRC/Lewis Publishers, c1997.
Science Reference TD193 .P38 1997
Less referency, until the final chapter.
Begins with discussion of current analytical methods and a discussion of precision and analysis. 1st section is devoted to issues and methods in organic analysis (mostly GC/MS). 2nd section contains analytical methods for various classes of chemicals (such as aldehydes) and the third section is comprised of chapters devoted to analysis of individual common chemicals. This is still a very broad discussion and does not outline procedures, reagents and equipment.
The appendices are what make this book interesting and useful.
Appendices
Appendix A Some Common QC Formulas and Statistics
Appendix B Sample Containers, Preservations, and Holding Times
Appendix C Preparation of Molar and Normal Solutions of Some Common Reagents
Appendix D Total Dissolved Solids and Specific Conductance: Theoretical Calculations
Appendix E Characteristic Masses for Identification of Additional Organic Pollutants By GC/MS
Appendix F Volatility of Some Additional Organic Substances for Purge and Trap Analysis
Appendix G Analysis of Elements by Atomic Spectroscopy: An Overview
Appendix H Analysis of Trace Elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Appendix I Oil and Grease Analysis: An Overview
Appendix J NIOSH Methods for Air Analysis
Appendix K U.S. EPA Methods for Air Analysis
Appendix L Inorganic Test Procedures for Analysis of Aqueous Samples: EPA, SM, and ASTM Reference Methods
Appendix M U.S. EPA Analytical Methods for Organic Pollutants in Aqueous and Solid Matrices
Indices
Chemical Compounds
CAS Registry Numbers
3. Smith, Roy Keith.
Handbook of environmental analysis / authored by Roy-Keith Smith. Schenectady, NY : Genium Pub. Corp., c1994. 2nd ed.
Science Reference TD194.6 .S55 1995
An odd book, not clearly a textbook or a reference book. Packed full of information that is presented primarily in tables and diagrams, it lacks the encyclopedic qualities of a reference book. This book seems to be designed for the advanced student in environmental science or environmental engineering, as it is also quite heavy on the chemical equations. This book also has excellent references to other, primary sources. All in all, not the kind of book that a reference librarian can use to point out information, but may be a good book to which to refer the patron.
4. Wagner, Robert E. and Gregory A. Yogis.
Guide to environmental analytical methods edited by . c1992.
Science TD193 .G95 1992
A definite reference book, though it is located in the stacks. This book is all tables. Mostly this book contains comparisons of the different sampling and analyzing methods. The only thing that keeps this from being a great book for the reference interview is that there is no index. One has to go through the table of contents and find the table that would be most appropriate to the question. Also, it is on the old side of the 90’s. Regulations have changed so much that the regulations listed in the book may no longer be correct. (i.e. Alachlor is listed as only being determined by method SW-846, whereas newer reference books list EPA 625.)
5. Manual of chemical methods for pesticides and devices U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Pr 1992.
Science Ref SB951 .U56 1992
Arranged Alphabetically by chemical.
Categories (somewhat inconsistently applied)
Chemical Name
Chemical Formula
Solubility
Stability
Other Names
Reagents
Equipment
Operating Conditions
Preparation of Standard
Preparation of sample
Determination
Calculation
Method Performance
Source
Problems: Treats a limited scope of chemicals, no EPA method number or CAS numbers are given.
6. Official and standardized methods of analysis
This is a very general book that should be mentioned to any patron advanced student – practitioner asking questions having to do with analysis (less so for environmental analysis, because it does not coincide with EPA standards, which are all important in the US). It has many chapters dealing with chemical analysis of various types including cosmetic analysis, environmental analysis and food analysis. Could be considered a reference, and it would not be a bad thing to have a copy on reference. Because it is a Royal Society publication it has a British slant and will not be useful for regulatory testing questions.
7. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater prepared and published jointly by American Public Health Ass c1960-
QD142 .S7372
This is not quite as useful as one might think, though it is a huge book and quite the seminal work in this field. It is a reference book, arranged by class of analyte, with a large amount of information on each class.
1000 Introduction
2000 Physical and aggregate properties
3000 Metals
4000 Inorganic non-metallics
5000 Aggregate organics
6000 Individual organics
7000 Radioactivity
8000 Toxicity
9000 Microbiological (these are the most interesting sections)
10000 Biological
Problems. It is impossible to find particular chemical unless you know quite a bit of information about them because the chemical index is in no way comprehensive, (in order to find alachlor you have to know that it is a organochlorine pesticide). References to EPA methods are not consistently given.
EPA
Many of the accepted procedures are completely explained in the EPA documents. Each document may deal with a particular group of chemicals or a particular matrix. In order to identify locations of particular analytes or particular methods an index is used. Indexes to analytes are 1&2 above. The main method index is created by the EPA and is available online
EPA Index to Methods
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/index/
The unique role that this document plays in our library is providing CFR locations or EPA document numbers for each of the EPA documents.
Three different types of documents are referred to often in the index:
SW-846
EP 1.17:846/ v.1A
TD793 .T47 1986
Or online at:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/test/main.htm
CFR 40
http://www.epa.gov/epacfr40/cfr40toc.htm
EPA Reports
In order to find these documents in the library, it is best to have a title, since SUDOC and EPA number are a bit difficult to use for searching. Sometimes EPA number will work in the Scotty Standard # field, and sometimes in the kw (for series) field. A list of document sources for the methods is available at: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/index/sources.htm
