Challenges and Options for the Analysis of 1,4-Dioxane

Oral Presentation

Prepared by C. Neslund
Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental, LLC, 2425 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States


Contact Information: charlesneslund@eurofinsus.com; 717-556-7231


ABSTRACT

Until relatively recently, 1,4-dioxane had received little attention from regulating authorities throughout the U.S. The investigations into 1,4-dioxane contamination at legacy sites has drawn the label of 1,4-dioxane as an "emerging contaminant". Primarily due to the use of 1,4-dioxane as a solvent stabilizer for solvents such as trichloroethane (TCA), previously closed TCA sites are being re-opened and investigated for this volatile, water miscible contaminant. Although 1,4-dioxane is listed as a volatile compound under SW-846 8260, the performance of 1,4-dioxane under standard 8260 conditions often can not meet site or state specific data quality objectives (DQOs). Therefore, the environmental laboratory community has been pushed to modify methods to achieve DQOs. SW-846 methods 8260 and 8270 can be modified to meet or exceed a health-based advisory level of 3 ug/l. This presentation will discuss the details of these analytical method modifications as well as the advantages and pitfalls of each.