ABSTRACT
Several compounds may overlap under both terms, volatile and semivolatile. The semivolatile compounds in environmental matrices may be analyzed by various methods. This chapter discusses some of these methods in more detail. It lists the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods and the procedure described in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. All these methods follow more or less the same procedures. The detection limits, however, may differ for regulatory purposes. The chapter presents the names of the 238 compounds that are listed under US EPA's Solid Wastes Method 8270D. The abundances of all the characteristic mass ions of semivolatile organic compound must meet the tuning criteria that have been set for US EPA Method 625 before commencing the analysis. The grab samples are collected in 1 L amber glass bottles fitted with TFE screw caps. Samples should be protected from light if amber bottles are not used.
