United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Publication 9380.1-15FS
PB94-963510
EPA 540/F94/057
December 1992
Wood Treating Sites:
Analysis of PCP and Creosote Using On
Site Mobile High Hazard Laboratory
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Emergency Response Division
Environmental Response Branch MS-101
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
Introduction
Laboratory Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
(GC/MS) methods are normally employed to determine
pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote contaminant levels
in soil samples from hazardous waste sites. Turnaround
time associated with off-site analysis is often too slow to
allow efficient utilization of the data. However, laboratory
GC/MS methods can be modified for field (on-site) use to
provide timely results while maintaining high data quality.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environ-
mental Response Team (U.S. EPA/ERT), through its Re-
sponse Engineering and Analytical Contract (REAC), has
developed field GC/MS methods to provide timely, reli-
able, and cost-effective PCP and creosote analyses needed
by site managers to guide remediation and removal activi-
ties.
U.S. EPA/ERT Field Analytical
Methods for PCP/Creosote
Gas Chromatography/Flame lonization Detector (GC/FID)
methods have been used to screen and analyze PCP and
creosote contamination in soils with 5 percent confirma-
tion by GC/MS methods, which offer good overall sensi-
tivity and positive identification for specific compounds.
Field (on-site) GC/MS methods developed by the U.S.
EPA/ERT provide quick turnaround of results while incor-
porating rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control
(QA/QC) procedures to ensure reliability of the analytical
data. These methods provide shortened extraction times
while maintaining good detectability (5 mg/kg detection
limit for each compound). The soil sample is spiked with a
surrogate solution, mixed with anhydrous sodium sulfate,
and extracted with acetone/methylene chloride. Prior to
analysis, the sample is spiked with an internal standard
mix. Samples which contain noticeably high concentra-
tions of creosote are diluted before analysis. Calibration is
checked daily by analyzing a 5.0 mg/kg standard solution;
typical agreement is ± 15 percent (± 0.75 mg/kg) for all
compounds.
On-Site PCP and Creosote Sample
Analysis
The Escambia Treating Company operated four wood
treating facilities located in Pensacola, Florida; Brook-
haven, Mississippi; Camilla, Georgia; and Brunswick,
Georgia. Wooden telephone poles and foundation pilings
were manufactured and treated at these facilities from the
1940s until they were closed between 1982 and 1991.
Poor handling practices in the treating facilities resulted in
PCP and creosote contamination of soil throughout each
site. Site samples also contained highly toxic dioxin waste
material which required specialized handling procedures.
Therefore, an on-site high-hazard laboratory was estab-
lished in May, 1991 at the Brunswick site to provide fast
turnaround on PCP and creosote analyses for dioxin con-
taminated samples. Over 1,000 samples were analyzed
with GC/FID systems in operation since the laboratory
was mobilized in 1991. GC/FID was replaced by GC/MS
in March, 1992 and a GC/MS method was established
which provides 24-hour turnaround for analyses of 15-20
samples per day. Since March 1992, over 700 samples
have been analyzed by the GC/MS field method.
Conclusions
The utilization of field-modified GC/MS methods has
proven to be an effective approach to meet contaminant
analysis needs at wood treating hazardous waste sites.
High quality results are achieved with quick turnaround
using field-proven methodologies while incorporating rig-
orous QA/QC procedures. On-going operations at the
Brunswick High-Hazard field laboratory continue to pro-
vide fast, cost-effective PCP and creosote analyses for
characterization and remediation at several hazardous
waste sites.
For further information, please contact:
Raj Singhvi (908) 321-6761
(908) 321-6660 (24-hour hotline)
U.S. EPA/ERT
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