Wastewater Standards - Your essential resource for Agilent ULTRA chemical standards

Significance of Wastewater Standards

Accurate measurement of organic and inorganic contaminants in wastewater is critical for regulatory compliance, environmental protection, and public health. Standardized reference materials and validated methods ensure reliable data across laboratories, support method development, and facilitate comparison of results worldwide.

Objectives and Overview of the Agilent Portfolio

The primary goal of the catalog is to present a comprehensive offering of certified reference materials and calibration mixtures aligned with the full suite of EPA wastewater methods. It aims to deliver:

• Full coverage of EPA Methods 601–680, 1311 and 1664
• Custom and off-the-shelf standards for VOCs, semi-VOCs, pesticides, phenols, PCBs, PAHs, nitrosamines, phthalates and more
• Three levels of reference material validation to suit diverse laboratory requirements
• Rapid fulfillment via global distribution and logistics

Methodology and Instrumentation

Standardized analytical workflows use established sample preparation and detection techniques:

• Purge and trap combined with gas chromatography and detectors such as electrolytic conductivity (Hall), flame ionization (FID), photoionization (PID) or GC/MS for volatile and purgeable compounds
• Liquid–liquid extraction or solid phase extraction followed by derivatization for phenols and chlorinated herbicides
• Kuderna-Danish concentration and GC/ECD for halogenated and organochlorine analytes
• GC/MS with capillary columns for dioxins (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and polychlorinated biphenyls
• High-performance liquid chromatography with UV, fluorescence or electrochemical detection for benzidines, carbamate and urea pesticides

Used Instrumentation

Compliant reference materials complement the following instrument platforms:

• Gas chromatography with FID, ECD, NPD, FPD, Hall conductivity, PID detectors
• Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for library searches and confirmatory analyses
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV, fluorescence and electrochemical detectors
• Purging and trap systems, Kuderna-Danish concentrators for sample enrichment
• Laboratory balances and volumetric systems for gravimetric CRM preparation

Main Results and Discussion

Agilent’s portfolio demonstrates:

• Over 7,000 standards manufactured under triple certification (ISO 9001, ISO 17025, ISO Guide 34)
• Level I, II and III reference materials with gravimetric and full analytical validation
• Method-specific mixes for rapid calibration, tuning and surrogate spiking
• Custom product capability to address unique matrix or analyte requirements
• Certified uncertainty values at 95 % confidence to support QA/QC protocols

Benefits and Practical Applications

Laboratories benefit from:

• Streamlined method validation and regulatory compliance
• Consistent performance across laboratories and instruments
• Reduced development time with ready-to-use calibration and check standards
• Enhanced data quality via detailed lot-specific Certificates of Analysis
• Global availability and fast turnaround for critical projects

Future Trends and Possibilities

Emerging directions in wastewater analytics include:

• Expansion of high-throughput multi-residue MS methods for comprehensive monitoring
• Miniaturized and portable GC/MS and HPLC systems for on-site analysis
• Integration of automation and robotics in sample preparation
• Advances in hybrid detectors to cover wider polarity ranges
• Use of machine learning models to predict method performance and matrix effects

Conclusion

Agilent’s comprehensive library of wastewater standards and certified reference materials supports accurate, reproducible analyses across a wide range of EPA methods. The triple-certified portfolio, combined with custom formulation services, empowers laboratories to meet stringent regulatory requirements and drive innovation in environmental monitoring.

References

• EPA Method 601: Purgeable Halocarbons
• EPA Method 602: Purgeable Aromatics
• EPA Method 603: Acrolein and Acrylonitrile
• EPA Method 604: Phenols
• EPA Method 605: Benzidines
• EPA Method 606: Phthalates
• EPA Method 607: Nitrosamines
• EPA Methods 608–680: Organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, PAHs, haloethers, chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbamates, triazines
• EPA Method 1311: TCLP
• EPA Method 1664: Oil and Grease (HEM)