Guide for Environmental Analysis by ICP-MS: Streamline Workflows for Accurate Results

Environmental analysis essentially encompasses the application of various analytical techniques to obtain information about the environment for pollution and toxicity assessment. It goes beyond the testing of drinking water, wastewater, and ground and surface waters to ensure public protection and compliance with the standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). It also entails a broad range of testing and applications: The testing of water, soil, air, and industrial wastes for pollution and hazard assessment is driven by federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. Some of the federal laws enacted for solid waste management, the preservation of waters of the United States, and for public, aquatic, and wildlife protection are summarized in the following sections. Associated regulations, programs, and federal offices responsible for working with state agencies, local governments, local health departments, and public utilities for the implementation of these laws are also summarized for additional context. 4 Guide for environmental sample analysis by ICP-MS < Contents Introduction Clean Water Act (CWA) The CWA, originally known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, passed in 1948, was restructured and expanded in 1972 to the CWA.1 It established the structure for regulating the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States2 and for regulating surface water quality standards. Under the CWA, industrial wastewater standards were set, prohibiting the discharge of pollutants by industries from a point source into a river, lake, stream, etc. without an NPDES permit. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) The EPA gives most of the states the authority to enforce and administer the NPDES permit program and to issue permits. The permit includes effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other stipulations to ensure water quality and public health are not compromised due to pollutant discharge by industrial plants and other facilities.3 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) The SDWA, passed by Congress in 1974, is the law that protects public health by regulating the public drinking water supply. In 1986 and 1996 the law was amended, requiring additional actions to protect drinking water and its sources: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells. The EPA set standards for drinking water under the SDWA and oversees the implementation of these standards by states, municipalities, and water suppliers. The SDWA applies to all public water systems (PWS).4 Note, the SDWA does not apply to bottled water which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).5 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) The EPA established the NPDWR under the SDWA as legally enforceable standards that limit the levels of contaminants in drinking water to ensure quality and protect the public. The NPDWR standards and treatment techniques are applicable to all PWS. The standard is organized into six groups of pollutants, one of which is Inorganic Chemicals, where metals (e.g., Pb, As, Hg, Cd) are covered.6 1.1 Overview of key U.S. EPA laws and regulations for water Figure 1.2 The discharge of wastewater by industries into navigable waters requires an NPDES permit. Figure 1.3 Surface and ground waters, such