Standardization News

D19 Standards Used for Measuring Regulated Pollutants in Wastewater

Ten standards developed by ASTM International Committee D19 on Water have been included in a final rule published in the Code of Federal Regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve methods for measuring regulated pollutants in wastewater. Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants Under the Clean Water Act; Analysis and Sampling Procedures, was signed by Lisa P. Jackson, EPA administrator, on April 17 and was published in the Federal Register Volume 77, Number 97 (Friday, May 18, 2012) .

Many of the standards in the Methods Update Rule are either new or revised standards for the analysis of cyanides in water. Conventional cyanide methods used for compliance monitoring have historically been problematic due to interference issues. The new ASTM standards implement technology and chemistries that are less susceptible to these matrix interferences, so that results should be more accurate, according to John Sebrowski, senior scientist, Bayer Material Science, and chairman of the cyanide task group within Subcommittee D19.06 on Methods of Analysis for Organic Substances in Water.

According to the EPA, the new and revised standards being added to 40 CFR 136, Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants, through the final rule "will provide increased flexibility to the regulated community and laboratories in their selection of analytical methods for use in Clean Water Act programs." By their inclusion in the final rule, the following approved methods can be used for determining compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits or other monitoring requirements: