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EPA-821-R-01-015 January 2001

METHOD 1684 Total, Fixed, and Volatile Solids in Water, Solids, and Biosolids

Draft January 2001

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Office of Science and Technology Engineering and Analysis Division (4303) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20460

Method 1684

Acknowledgments
This method was prepared under the direction ofWilliam A. Telliard of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Water (OW), Engineering and Analysis Division (EAD). The method was prepared under EPA Contract 68-C-98-139 by DynCorp with assistance from Quality Works, Inc.

Disclaimer
This draft method has been reviewed and approved for publication by the Analytical Methods Staff within the Engineering and Analysis Division ofthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. EPA plans further validation of this draft method. The method may be revised following validation to reflect results of the study. This method version contains minor editorial changes to the February 1999 version. EPA welcomes suggestions for improvementof this method. Suggestions and questions concerning this method or its application should be addressed to: William A. Telliard USEPA Office of Water Analytical Methods Staff Mail Code 4303 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20460 Phone: 202/ 260-7134 Fax: 202/260-7185

Requests for additional copies of this publication should be directed to: Water Resource Center Mail Code RC-4100 1200Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 260-7786 or (202) 260-2814

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Draft–January 2001

Method 1684

Note: This method is performance based. The laboratory is permitted to modify or omit any steps or procedure, provided that all performance requirements in this method are met. The laboratory may not omit any quality control analyses. The terms “shall”, “must”, and “may not”indicate steps and procedures required for producing reliable results. The terms “should” and “may” indicate optional steps that may be modified or omitted if the laboratory can demonstrate that the modified method produces results equivalent or superior to results produced by this method.

Draft–January 2001

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Method 1684

Method 1684 Total, Fixed, and Volatile Solids in Water,Solids, and Biosolids 1.0
1.1

Scope and Application
This method is applicable to the determination of total solids and the fixed and volatile fractions in such solid and semisolid samples as soils, sediments, biosolids (municipal sewage sludge), sludge separated from water and wastewater treatment processes, and sludge cakes from vacuum filtration, centrifugation, or other sludge dewateringprocesses. This method is for use in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) data gathering and monitoring programs under the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Method detection limits (MDLs) and minimum levels (MLs) have not been formally establishedfor this draft method. These values will be determined during the validation studies. This method is performance based. The laboratory is permitted to omit any step or modify any procedure (e.g. to overcome interferences, to lower the cost of measurement), provided that all performance requirements in this method are met. Requirements for establishing method equivalency are given in Section 9.1.2.Each laboratory that uses this method must demonstrate the ability to generate acceptable results using the procedure in Section 9.2.

1.2

1.3 1.4

1.5

2.0
2.1 2.2 2.3

Summary of Method
Sample aliquots of 25-50 g are dried at 103EC to 105EC to drive off water in the sample. The residue from Section 2.1 is cooled, weighed, and dried again at 550EC to drive off volatile solids in...