EPA 3050B

Acid Digestion of Soils, Sediments, and Sludges for ICP Metals Analysis

Applicability: This procedure applies to samples received and analyzed at Conti Testing Laboratories, Inc. (CTL), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and digested for metals analysis.
1.1. Method Reference: SW-846 3050B
1.2. Matrices: soils, sediments, and sludges
1.3. Holding Time: None
1.4. Preservation: None
1.5. Interferences: Solvents, reagents, glassware, and other sample processing hardware may yield artifacts and/or interferences to sample analysis. All of these materials must be demonstrated to be free from interferences under the conditions of the analysis by analyzing method blanks.

Purpose: A representative sample is digested with repeated additions of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen peroxide and diluted to a final volume of 100 mL. The solution is analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP).