DETERMINATION OF TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON AND SPECIFIC UV ABSORBANCE AT 254 nm IN SOURCE WATER AND DRINKING WATER

1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION 1.1 This method provides procedures for the determination of total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and UV absorption at 254 nm (UVA) in source waters and drinking waters. The DOC and UVA determinations are used in the calculation of the Specific UV Absorbance (SUVA). For TOC and DOC analysis, the sample is acidified and the inorganic carbon (IC) is removed prior to analysis for organic carbon (OC) content using a TOC instrument system. The measurements of TOC and DOC are based on calibration with potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) standards. This method is not intended for use in the analysis of treated or untreated industrial wastewater discharges as those wastewater samples may damage or contaminate the instrument system(s). 1.2 The three (3) day, pooled organic carbon detection limit (OCDL) is based on the detection limit (DL) calculation.1 It is a statistical determination of precision, and may be below the level of quantitation. The determination of OCDL is dependent on the analytical instrument system’s precision, the purity of laboratory reagent wate