The SW-846 Compendium

EPA’s SW-846 Compendium consists of three main parts—chapters, methods and supporting documents. Most methods are intended as guidance, with the exception of method defined parameters (MDPs) that are mandated by the RCRA regulations. The chapters provide insight on how to successfully use the test methods. The supporting documents provide insight into the organization and history of the SW-846 document. In particular, the Table of Contents and Methods Status Table are used frequently.

Use the tabs below to learn more about and access the various parts of the SW-846 Compendium.

Methods

The SW-846 Compendium consists of over 200 analytical methods for sampling and analyzing waste and other matrices. The methods are divided into sections, or “series,” according to the type of method, analyte(s) and technique(s) used.

For more information on which method(s) to use, EPA developed a searchable table of all methods in the SW-846 Compendium. Select a series below to view its methods:

• Method 0010 – Modified Method 5 Sampling Train
• Method 0011 – Sampling for Selected Aldehyde and Ketone Emissions from Stationary Sources
• Method 0020 – Source Assessment Sampling System (SASS)
• Method 0023A – Sampling Method for Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofuran Emissions from Stationary Sources
• Method 0030 – Volatile Organic Sampling Train
• Method 0031 – Sampling Method for Volatile Organic Compounds (SMVOC)
• Method 0040 – Sampling of Principal Organic Hazardous Constituents from Combustion Sources Using Tedlar® Bags
• Method 0050 – Isokinetic HCl/Cl₂ Emission Sampling Train
• Method 0051 – Midget Impinger HCl/Cl₂ Emission Sampling Train
• Method 0060 – Determination of Metals in Stack Emissions
• Method 0061 – Determination of Hexavalent Chromium Emissions from Stationary Sources
• Method 0100 – Sampling for Formaldehyde and Other Carbonyl Compounds in Indoor Air
• Referred Air Method 25D – Determination of the Volatile Organic Concentration of Waste Samples
• Referred Air Method 25E – Determination of Vapor Phase Organic Concentration in Waste Samples
• Referred Air Method OTM 14 (formerly 0207) – Method for Measuring Isocyanates

• Method 1010A – Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed-Cup Tester
• Method 1020B – Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Setaflash (Small Scale) Closed-Cup Apparatus
• Method 1030 – Ignitability of Solids
• Method 1040 – Test Method for Oxidizing Solids
• Method 1050 – Test Methods to Determine Substances Likely to Spontaneously Combust
• Method 1110A – Corrosivity Toward Steel
• Method 1120 – Dermal Corrosion
• Method 1310B – Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test
• Method 1311 – Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
• Method 1312 – Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure
• Method 1320 – Multiple Extraction Procedure
• Method 1330A – Extraction Procedure for Oily Wastes

• Method 3005A – Acid Digestion of Waters for Total Recoverable or Dissolved Metals for Analysis by FLAA or ICP Spectroscopy
• Method 3010A – Acid Digestion of Aqueous Samples and Extracts for Total Metals for Analysis by FLAA or ICP Spectroscopy
• Method 3015A – Microwave Assisted Acid Digestion of Aqueous Samples and Extracts
• Method 3020A – Acid Digestion of Aqueous Samples and Extracts for Total Metals for Analysis by GFAA Spectroscopy
• Method 3031 – Acid Digestion of Oils for Metals Analysis by Atomic Absorption or ICP Spectrometry
• Method 3040A – Dissolution Procedure for Oils, Greases, or Waxes
• Method 3050B – Acid Digestion of Sediments, Sludges, and Soils
• Method 3051A – Microwave Assisted Acid Digestion of Sediments, Sludges, Soils, and Oils
• Method 3052 – Microwave Assisted Acid Digestion of Siliceous and Organically Based Matrices
• Method 3060A – Alkaline Digestion for Hexavalent Chromium
• Method 3200 – Mercury Species Fractionation and Quantification by Microwave-Assisted Extraction, Selective Solvent Extraction, and/or Solid Phase Extraction

• Method 3500C – Organic Extraction and Sample Preparation
• Method 3510C – Separatory Funnel Liquid-Liquid Extraction
• Method 3511 – Organic Compounds in Water by Microextraction
• Method 3520C – Continuous Liquid-Liquid Extraction
• Method 3535A – Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE)
• Method 3540C – Soxhlet Extraction
• Method 3541 – Automated Soxhlet Extraction
• Method 3542 – Extraction of Semivolatile Analytes Collected Using Method 0010 (Modified Method 5 Sampling Train)
• Method 3545A – Pressurized Fluid Extraction (PFE)
• Method 3546 – Microwave Extraction
• Method 3550C – Ultrasonic Extraction
• Method 3560 – Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Total Recoverable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
• Method 3561 – Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Method 3562 – Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Organochlorine Pesticides
• Method 3572 – Extraction of Wipe Samples for Chemical Agents
• Method 3580A – Waste Dilution
• Method 3585 – Waste Dilution for Volatile Organics

• Method 3600C – Cleanup
• Method 3610B – Alumina Cleanup
• Method 3611B – Alumina Column Cleanup and Separation of Petroleum Wastes
• Method 3620C – Florisil Cleanup
• Method 3630C – Silica Gel Cleanup
• Method 3640A – Gel-Permeation Cleanup
• Method 3650B – Acid-Base Partition Cleanup
• Method 3660B – Sulfur Cleanup
• Method 3665A – Sulfuric Acid/Permanganate Cleanup
• Method 3815 – Screening Solid Samples for Volatile Organics
• Method 3820 – Hexadecane Extraction and Screening of Purgeable Organics

1. range-finding or screening results indicative of compliance with an action level
2. assay values

Commercially-available testing products present immunoassay protocols that are rapid, simple and portable and can be used effectively in both laboratory and field settings. Results are immediately available upon completion of the test, and can assist in the on-site management of personnel and equipment, as well as the data management activities of the laboratory.

• Method 4000 – Immunoassay
• Method 4010A – Screening for Pentachlorophenol by Immunoassay
• Method 4015 – Screening for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid by Immunoassay
• Method 4020 – Screening for Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Immunoassay
• Method 4025 – Screening for Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) by Immunoassay
• Method 4030 – Soil Screening for Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Immunoassay
• Method 4035 – Soil Screening for Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Immunoassay
• Method 4040 – Soil Screening for Toxaphene by Immunoassay
• Method 4041 – Soil Screening for Chlordane by Immunoassay
• Method 4042 – Soil Screening for DDT by Immunoassay
• Method 4050 – TNT Explosives in Soil by Immunoassay
• Method 4051 – Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) in Soil by Immunoassay
• Method 4425 – Screening Extracts of Environmental Samples for Planar Organic Compounds (PAHs, PCBs, PCDDs/PCDFs) by a Reporter Gene on a Human Cell Line
• Method 4430 – Screening for Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Poly chlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) in Soil and Sediments Using an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Based PCR Assay
• Method 4435 – Method for Toxic Equivalent (TEQS) Determination for Dioxin-Like Chemical Activity with the CALUX® Bioassay
• Method 4670 – Triazine Herbicides as Atrazine in Water by Quantitative Immunoass

For additional guidance regarding immunoassay analysis see:

• EPA’s List of Validated Immunoassay Test Kits
• Guidance for Submittal of New Immunoassay Methods
• Guidelines for Revalidation of Existing Immunoassay-Based Analytical Products

• Method 5000 – Sample Preparation for Volatile Organic Compounds
• Method 5021A – Volatile Organic Compounds in Various Sample Matrices Using Equilibrium Headspace Analysis
• Method 5030B – Purge-and-Trap for Aqueous Samples
• Method 5031 – Volatile, Nonpurgeable, Water-Soluble Compounds by Azeotropic Distillation
• Method 5032 – Volatile Organic Compounds by Vacuum Distillation
• Method 5035 – Closed-System Purge-and-Trap and Extraction for Volatile Organics in Soil and Waste Samples
• Method 5041A – Analysis for Desorption of Sorbent Cartridges from Volatile Organic Sampling Train (VOST)
• Method 5050 – Bomb Preparation Method for Solid Waste

• Method 6010D – Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry
• Method 6020B – Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
• Method 6200 – Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for the Determination of Elemental Concentrations in Soil and Sediment
• Method 6500 – Dissolved Inorganic Anions in Aqueous Matrices by Capillary Ion Electrophoresis
• Method 6800 – Elemental and Molecular Speciated Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry

• Method 7000B – Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
• Method 7010 – Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
• Method 7061A – Arsenic (Atomic Absorption, Gaseous Hydride)
• Method 7062 – Antimony and Arsenic (Atomic Absorption, Borohydride Reduction)
• Method 7063 – Arsenic in Aqueous Samples and Extracts by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV)
• Method 7195 – Chromium, Hexavalent (Coprecipitation)
• Method 7196A – Chromium, Hexavalent (Coprecipitation)
• Method 7197 – Chromium, Hexavalent (Colorimetric)
• Method 7198 – Chromium, Hexavalent (Differential Pulse Polarography)
• Method 7199 – Determination of Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water, Groundwater and Industrial Wastewater Effluents by Ion Chromatography
• Method 7470A – Mercury in Liquid Waste (Manual Cold-Vapor Technique)
• Method 7471B – Mercury in Solid or Semisolid Waste (Manual Cold-Vapor Technique)
• Method 7472 – Mercury in Aqueous Samples and Extracts by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV)
• Method 7473 – Mercury in Solids and Solutions by Thermal Decomposition, Amalgamation, and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
• Method 7474 – Mercury in Sediment and Tissue Samples by Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry
• Method 7580 – White Phosphorus (P₄) by Solvent Extraction and Gas Chromatography
• Method 7741A – Selenium (Atomic Absorption, Gaseous Hydride)
• Method 7742 – Selenium (Atomic Absorption, Borohydride Reduction)

• Method 8000D – Determinative Chromatographic Separations
• Method 8011 – 1,2-Dibromoethane and 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography
• Method 8015C – Nonhalogenated Organics by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8021B – Aromatic and Halogenated Volatiles by Gas Chromatography Using Photoionization and/or Electrolytic Conductivity Detectors
• Method 8031 – Acrylonitrile by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8032A – Acrylamide by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8033 – Acetonitrile by Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen-Phosphorus Detection
• Method 8041A – Phenols by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8061A – Phthalate Esters by Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection (GC/ECD)
• Method 8070A – Nitrosamines by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8081B – Organochlorine Pesticides by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8082A – Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) by Gas Chromatography Guidance
• Method 8085 – Compound-independent Elemental Quantitation of Pesticides by Gas Chromatography with Atomic Emission Detection (GC/AED)
• Method 8091 – Nitroaromatics and Cyclic Ketones by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8095 – Explosives by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8100 – Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Method 8111 – Haloethers by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8121 – Chlorinated Hydrocarbons by Gas Chromatography: Capillary Column Technique
• Method 8131 – Aniline and Selected Derivatives by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8141B – Organophosphorus Compounds by Gas Chromatography
• Method 8151A – Chlorinated Herbicides by GC Using Methylation or Pentafluorobenzylation Derivatization
• Method 8260B – Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
• Method 8261 – Volatile Organic Compounds by Vacuum DistillatPageion in Combination with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (VD/GC/MS)
• Method 8270D – Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
• Method 8275A – Semivolatile Organic Compounds (PAHs and PCBs) in Soils/Sludges and Solid Wastes Using Thermal Extraction/Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (TE/GC/MS)
• Method 8276 – Toxaphene and Toxaphene Congeners by Gas Chromatography/Negative Ion Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (GC-NICI/MS)
• Method 8280B – Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (PCDDs) and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs) by High Resolution Gas Chromatography/Low Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRGC/LRMS)
• Method 8290A – Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs) by High-Resolution Gas Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS)
• Method 8310 – Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Method 8315A – Determination of Carbonyl Compounds by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Method 8316 – Acrylamide, Acrylonitrile and Acrolein by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Method 8318A – N-Methylcarbamates by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Method 8321B – Solvent Extractable Nonvolatile Compounds by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Thermospray/Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/TS/MS) or Ultraviolet (UV) Detection
• Method 8325 –Solvent Extractable Nonvolatile Compounds by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Particle Beam/Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/PB/MS)
• Method 8330A – Nitroaromatics and Nitramines by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Method 8331 – Tetrazene by Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Method 8332 – Nitroglycerine by High Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Method 8410 – Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared (GC/FT-IR) Spectrometry for Semivolatile Organics: Capillary Column
• Method 8430 – Analysis of Bis(2-chloroethyl) Ether and Hydrolysis Products by Direct Aqueous Injection GC/FT-IR
• Method 8440 – Total Recoverable Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Infrared Spectrophotometry
• Method 8510 – Colorimetric Screening Procedure for RDX and HMX in Soil
• Method 8515 – Colorimetric Screening Method for Trinitrotoluene (TNT) in Soil
• Method 8520 – Continuous Measurement of Formaldehyde in Ambient Air
• Method 8535 – Screening Procedure for Total Volatile Organic Halides in Water
• Method 8540 – Pentachlorophenol by UV-Induced Colorimetry

• Method 9000 – Determination of Water in Waste Materials by Karl Fischer Titration
• Method 9001 – Determination of Water in Waste Materials by Quantitative Calcium Hydride Reaction
• Method 9010C – Total and Amenable Cyanide: Distillation
• Method 9012B – Total and Amenable Cyanide (Automated Colorimetric, with Off-Line Distillation)
• Method 9013A – Cyanide Extraction Procedure for Solids and Oils
• Method 9014 – Titrimetric and Manual Spectrophotometric Determinative Methods for Cyanide
• Method 9015 – Metal Cyanide Complexes by Anion Exchange Chromatography and UV Detection
• Method 9020B – Total Organic Halides (TOX)
• Method 9021 – Purgeable Organic Halides (POX)
• Method 9022 – Total Organic Halides (TOX) by Neutron Activation Analysis
• Method 9023 – Extractable Organic Halides (EOX) in Solids
• Method 9030B – Acid-Soluble and Acid-Insoluble Sulfides: Distillation
• Method 9031 – Extractable Sulfides
• Method 9034 – Titrimetric Procedure for Acid-Soluble and Acid-Insoluble Sulfides
• Method 9035 – Sulfate (Colorimetric, Automated, Chloranilate)
• Method 9036 – Sulfate (Colorimetric, Automated, Methylthymol Blue, AA II)
• Method 9038 – Sulfate (Turbidimetric)
• Method 9040C – pH Electrometric Measurement
• Method 9041A – pH Paper Method
• Method 9045D – Soil and Waste pH
• Method 9050A – Specific Conductance
• Method 9056A – Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
• Method 9057 – Determination of Chloride from HCl/Cl₂ Emission Sampling Train (Methods 0050 and 0051) by Anion Chromatography
• Method 9060A – Total Organic Carbon
• Method 9065 – Phenolics (Spectrophotometric, Manual 4-AAP with Distillation)
• Method 9066 – Phenolics (Colorimetric, Automated 4-AAP with Distillation)
• Method 9067 – Phenolics (Spectrophotometric, MBTH with Distillation)
• Method 9070A – n-Hexane Extractable material (HEM) for Aqueous Samples
• Method 9071B – n-Hexane Extractable Material (HEM) for Sludge, Sediment, and Solid Samples
• Method 9074 – Turbidimetric Screening Method for Total Recoverable Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Soil
• Method 9075 – Test Method for Total Chlorine in New and Used Petroleum Products by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF)
• Method 9076 – Test Method for Total Chlorine in New and Used Petroleum Products by Oxidative Combustion and Microcoulometry
• Method 9077 – Test Methods for Total Chlorine in New and Used Petroleum Products (Field Test Kit Methods)
• Method 9078 – Screening Test Method for Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Soil
• Method 9079 – Screening Test Method for Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Transformer Oil
• Method 9080 – Cation-Exchange Capacity of Soils (Ammonium Acetate)
• Method 9081 – Cation-Exchange Capacity of Soils (Sodium Acetate)
• Method 9090A – Compatibility Test for Wastes and Membrane Liners
• Method 9095B – Paint Filter Liquids Test
• Method 9096 – Liquid Release Test (LRT) Procedure
• Method 9100 – Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Saturated Leachate Conductivity, and Intrinsic Permeability
• Method 9131 – Total Coliform: Multiple Tube Fermentation Technique
• Method 9132 – Total Coliform: Membrane-Filter Technique
• Method 9210A – Potentiometric Determination of Nitrate in Aqueous Samples with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9211 – Potentiometric Determination of Bromide in Aqueous Samples with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9212 – Potentiometric Determination of Chloride in Aqueous Samples with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9213 – Potentiometric Determination of Cyanide in Aqueous Samples and Distillates with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9214 – Potentiometric Determination of Fluoride in Aqueous Samples with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9215 – Potentiometric Determination of Sulfide in Aqueous Samples and Distillates with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9216 – Potentiometric Determination of Nitrite in Aqueous Samples with Ion-Selective Electrode
• Method 9250 – Chloride (Colorimetric, Automated Ferricyanide AAI)
• Method 9251 – Chloride (Colorimetric, Automated Ferricyanide AAII)
• Method 9253 – Chloride (Titrimetric, Silver Nitrate)
• Method 9310 – Gross Alpha and Gross Beta
• Method 9315 – Alpha-Emitting Radium Isotopes
• Method 9320 – Radium 228

Chapters

Use the links below to access the chapters of guidance on SW-846 test methods.

• Chapter 1: Quality Control
• Chapter 2: Choosing the Correct Procedure
• Chapter 3: Inorganic Analytes
• Chapter 4: Organic Analytes
• Chapter 5: Miscellaneous Test Methods
• Chapter 6: Properties—Physical and Chemical Properties of Materials
• Chapter 7: Characteristics—Introduction and Regulatory Definitions
• Chapter 8: Methods for Determining Characteristics
• Chapter 9: Sampling Plans
• Chapter 10: Sampling Methods
• Chapter 11: Ground Water Monitoring
  • In 2008, Update VI to SW-846 removed Chapter 11 from the compendium because it was out of date and no longer relevant. However, for more information on ground water monitoring please see the RCRA Ground Water Monitoring Technical Enforcement Guidance Document (TEGD).

  Supporting Documents

  The SW-846 supporting documents include the Table of Contents, Disclaimer, Abstract, Methods Status Table, Preface, Acknowledgements, Policy Statement, and Appendix.

  Need More Information?

  For answers to technical questions about methods and the SW-846 compendium, search our SW-846 database.

  To find an older EPA method that has been replaced or removed from the compendium, search the EPA Archive.

  Don't forget about our Validated Methods

  EPA encourages the use of when possible.

  undergo significant laboratory review, but have not been officially added to the SW-846 Compendium through the Federal Register process.

  Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.