Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) the EPA has the authority to control hazardous waste. This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. RCRA also enables EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances.

The solid waste program encourages states to develop comprehensive plans to manage nonhazardous industrial solid waste and municipal solid waste, sets criteria for municipal solid waste landfills and other solid waste disposal facilities, and prohibits the open dumping of solid waste.

The hazardous waste program establishes a system for controlling hazardous waste.

The underground storage tank (UST) program regulates underground storage tanks containing hazardous substances and petroleum products.

The SW-846

The EPA publication SW-846, entitled Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods, is a compendium of analytical and sampling methods that have been approved for use in complying with the RCRA regulations. SW-846 functions primarily as a guidance document setting forth acceptable, although not required, methods for the regulated and regulatory communities to use in responding to RCRA-related sampling and analysis requirements.

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SW846 Methods for the Analysis of Multiple Metals in Solid Waste

Method Instrumental Technique Shimadzu Model
EPA 6010C ICP Axial or Radial ICPE-9800
EPA 6020A ICPMS ICPMS-2040/2050
EPA 7000B Flame AAS AA-7800
EPA 7010 GFAAS AA-7800

SW846 Methods for Anions in Solid Waste

Anions Method Instrumental Technique Shimadzu Model
Cyanide EPA 9012B Manual Spectrophotometry UV-1900i Plus
Phenolics EPA 9065 Manual Spectrophotometry UV-1900i Plus

SW846 Methods for Organics in Solid Waste

Contaminant Group Method Instrumental Technique Shimadzu Model
Volatiles EPA 8260C Purge & Trap GCMS GCMS-QP2050 with EST
Semi volatiles EPA 8270E Extraction Direct Injection GCMS GCMS-QP2050 or GCMS-QP2020 NX
Organochlorine Pesticides and PCBs EPA 8081B Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD GC-2030
EPA 8082A Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD GC-2030
Organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides EPA 8141A Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC GC-2030
Toxaphene and Toxaphene Congeners EPA 8276 Extraction Direct Injection GC-NICI/MS GCMS-QP2020 NX
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) EPA 8272 SPME GCMS/SIM GCMS-QP2020 NX
Chemical Agents EPA 8271 Direct Injection or Thermal Desorption GCMS GCMS-QP2020 NX
Perchlorate EPA 6850 HPLC/ESI/MS or HPLC/ESI/MS/MS LCMS-2050 or LCMS-TQ RX Series
Nitroaromatics, nitramines, nitrate esters EPA 8330B HPLC LC-40 HPLC System

 

Contaminant of Concern Method Shimadzu Instrument
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) EPA 9060 TOC-L