Developing Analytical Methods for Drinking Water Contaminants

Jean W. Munch

Office ofResearch and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division, Cincinnati, Ohio

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

REGULATING CONTAMINANTS IN DRINKING WATER - THE PROCESS

In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act. These amendments changed the
procedures that EPA must use to evaluate contaminants for possible regulation in drinking water.

Every 5 years, EPA must create a list of contaminants to be evaluated for possible regulation. These
chemicals must have a known health effect, and be suspected of occurring in drinking water. This list
is known as the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL).

• Also every five years, EPA must make a regulatory decision on at least 5 contaminants.

In response to the 1996 amendments, EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW)
published the first Contaminant Candidate List (CCL1) in March 1998. This list contained 50
chemicals and 10 microbes.

INFORMATION NEEDED TO SUPPORT REGULATORY DECISIONS

GATHERING NATIONWIDE OCCURRENCE DATA

EPA will gather nationwide occurrence data through the promulgation of Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulations (UCMR). The first UCMR (UCMR1), was promulgated in 1999.

Under the UCMR, Public Water Systems are required to monitor for specific chemicals using an
approved method, and submit the data to EPA.

19 chemicals/chemical groups on CCL1 needed to have analytical methods developed
before monitoring could start.

NERL collaborated with OGWDW's Technical Support Center (TSC) to devise a plan to develop
analytical methods for these 19 chemicals/chemical groups, to meet the regulatory timetable
(shown below).

METHOD DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Multi-analyte methods

Contaminants grouped by chemical similarity

OCCURRENCE DATA PRIORITIES - CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS

CHEMICALS/
CHEMICAL
GROUPS

2,4,6-trichlorophenol
2,4-dichlorophenol
2,4-dinitrophenol
2-methylphenol

Alachlor-ESA and
other acetanilide
degradation products

Diuron
Linuron

Triazine degradation
products

Acetochlor
Diazinon
1,2-diphenylhydrazine
Disulfoton
Fonofos
Nitrobenzene
Prometon
Terbufos

Organotins

ORIGIN OF CHEMICAL
CONTAMINANTS

Jl

By-products
of paper
manufacturing

Chemical intermediates for
production of herbicides and
other synthetic chemicals

fS\

Military explosive

Herbicides and herbicide degradation products

Solid Rocket Fuel (oxidizer)

J*

Chemical intermediates in the
Herbicides/Pesticides manufacture of other chemicals

PVC pipe manufacturing
and leaching

Fungicide

METHOD
DEVELOPMENT
LAB

NERL

METHOD#,
COMPLETION DATE

Method 528 - April 2000
o includes 8 additional phenols of
environmental interest)

Method 529 -Sept. 2002
(also includes 13 additional explosives
and munition related compounds of
environmental interest)

Method # (to be determined) -
Sept 2003 (proposed)
(includes 11 additional acetanalide
degradation products in addition to
Alachlor-ESA)

Method 532 -June 2000
(also includes 6 additional
phenylurea pesticides of
environmental interest)

In progress

SDWA Ammendments ¦

CCL1 promulgated 	 UCMR1 promulgated 	

Drinking water monitoring ¦
begins for UCMR1;
Continues through 2003

Method 314.0-Nov. 1999

Method 314.3 (in progress)

Method 526 -June 2000
(also includes 3 additional
semi-volatile chemicals of
environmental interest)

In progress

Complete analytical method for Alachlor- 	

ESA and other acetanalide pesticide
degradation products

UCMR#,
MONITORING DATES

UCMR1
(2001-2003)

Year of Water:
Thirty	Years

Through Partnering

ANALYTICAL METHOD PROCEDURES FOR NERL METHODS
528 (PHENOLS) AND 529 (RDX)

1. Sample
collection and
preservation.

UCMR2
(2006-2009)

UCMR2
(2006-2009)

UCMR1
(2001-2003)

Projected for UCMR2
(2006-2009)

UCMR1
(2001-2003)

UCMR2
(2006-2009)

UCMR1
(2001-2003)

Projected forUCMR2
(2006 -2009)

Complete anlytical methods
for Organotins and Triazine
degradation products
I	

4. Analysis of sample extracts using gas
chromatography/mass spectrometry
(GC/MS).

2. Sample

extraction

using solid

phase

extraction

techniques.

i.

'H

Jr (I

3. Extract
concentration.

5. Sample data - a chromatogram and
mass spectral "fingerprint" of RDX.

IMPACT

• Safe drinking water is important to every American.

Over the next decade, regulatory determinations will be
made for at least 10 drinking water contaminants.

Reliable occurrence data, collected through UCMR
monitoring using analytical methods developed by
NERL and TSC, is critical to the regulatory decision
making process.

2c

Promulgate UCMR2

Promulgate CCL3 	

-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Complete analytical

Diuron



methods for :

Linuron

2-methylphenol

Diazinon

Prometon

2,4-trinitrophenol

Fonofos

Terbufos

2,4-dichlorophenol

Acetochlor

perchlorate

2,4,6-trichlorophenol

Disulfoton

Nitrobenzene

1,2-diphenylhydrazine



Complete analytical
method for RDX .

Promulgate CCL2
Make regulatory determination
on 5 drinking water
contaminants from CCL1

,J

Drinking water monitoring -
begins for UCMR2;
Continues through 2009

Make regulatory -
determination on 5 additional
drinking water contaminants
from CCL1 orCCL2

Partnering	to Protect	Human


-------