Analysis of VOCs according to EPA Method 8260

Importance of the Topic

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are widespread environmental contaminants derived from industrial, commercial, and consumer activities. Monitoring low‐level VOCs in water and soil is critical to protect public health and support regulatory compliance under U.S. EPA guidelines.

Objectives and Study Overview

• Demonstrate a fully compliant analytical workflow for EPA Method 8260D by combining Teledyne Tekmar Atomx XYZ purge and trap (P&T) with Thermo Scientific TRACE 1310 gas chromatograph and ISQ 7000 single‐quadrupole mass spectrometer.
• Assess method performance in terms of linearity, method detection limits (MDLs), precision, accuracy, and robustness for wastewater and soil matrices.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Sample preparation employed EPA Methods 5030/5035: water standards (0.2–200 ppb) and soil standards (1–200 ppb), spiked with four internal standards and three surrogate compounds in methanol.
• Purge and trap conditions (Atomx XYZ) optimized for water and soil: variable purge flow and temperature, defined pre‐purge, purge, and dry purge cycles; trap #9; nitrogen purge gas.
• GC–MS conditions: TRACE 1310 GC using TraceGOLD TG‐VMS column (20 m × 0.18 mm, 1 μm film), helium carrier, ramped oven program (35 °C to 225 °C), 14.8 min runtime; ISQ 7000 MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) with VPI and ExtractaBrite source.
• Data acquisition and processing via Chromeleon 7.2 CDS, supporting integrated control of P&T and GC–MS.

Main Results and Discussion

• Chromatography: baseline separation and stable peak shapes for over 100 VOC targets in both water and soil, unaffected by matrix.
• Linearity and sensitivity: calibration curves showed R² > 0.99 and response factor RSD < 20% across full ranges; MDLs < 0.25 ppb for water and < 1 ppb for soil for most analytes.
• Initial Demonstration of Capability (IDC): seven replicates at 20 ppb yielded precision (RSD) < 11% and mean recoveries between 76% and 117%, meeting EPA criteria.
• Robustness: 240 consecutive injections of 20 ppb water standards over three days (n = 40 per compound) without user intervention produced average RSD ≈ 8.3% and recovery ≈ 90%.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High throughput and minimal downtime enabled by modular GC and MS design, fast P&T cycle times, and efficient moisture control.
• Fully integrated software workflow reduces operational complexity and supports compliance documentation.
• Suitable for environmental testing laboratories requiring routine VOC monitoring in wastewater, groundwater, and soil matrices.

Future Trends and Applications

• Expansion of downloadable eWorkflows in Thermo Scientific AppsLab to streamline method deployment and validation.
• Incorporation of high‐resolution mass spectrometry and advanced ion sources for broader trace‐level contaminant screening.
• Automation enhancements, remote monitoring, and integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
• Application to emerging contaminants such as per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and non‐target screening approaches.

Conclusion

The combined Atomx XYZ P&T, TRACE 1310 GC, and ISQ 7000 MS system delivers robust, sensitive, and reproducible analysis of VOCs in water and soil, fully meeting EPA Method 8260D performance requirements. This integrated solution enhances laboratory efficiency, ensures regulatory compliance, and supports long‐term environmental monitoring programs.

Reference

• U.S. EPA Method 8260D: Volatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS (2017).
• Thermo Scientific AppsLab Library: EPA 8260 workflows and eWorkflows.
• Thermo Scientific Application Note 65632: Routine VOC Analysis in Drinking Water with ISQ 7000 GC–MS.