EPA Groundwater Standards - Your essential resource for Agilent ULTRA chemical standards

Significance of the Topic

Accurate and traceable chemical standards are essential for reliable groundwater monitoring, environmental compliance, and risk assessment. The U.S. EPA methods define target analytes and procedures for volatile organics, semivolatiles, pesticides, dioxins, and other classes of contaminants in water and soil. Certified reference materials (CRMs) that conform to these methods enable laboratories to validate methods, calibrate instruments, and demonstrate regulatory compliance.

Study Objectives and Overview

This document presents Agilent’s portfolio of ULTRA chemical standards tailored to EPA groundwater methods. It outlines the scope of over 7 000 products, including off-the-shelf calibration mixes, internal and surrogate standards, spiking solutions, and custom formulations. The aim is to provide a single reference for method-specific standards covering EPA Methods 8010B through 8440.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Agilent manufactures CRMs under an ISO 9001 quality management system, an ISO 17025 accredited QC laboratory, and ISO Guide 34 accreditation for reference material producers. Each lot is accompanied by a certificate of analysis detailing analyte values and uncertainties. Standards support a range of analytical techniques:

• Gas chromatography with flame ionization (GC/FID), electron capture (GC/ECD) or nitrogen-phosphorus (GC/NPD) detectors
• Capillary GC coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
• High-resolution GC/MS (HRGC/HRMS) for dioxins and furans
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for polar compounds, carbamates, nitrosamines, and explosives
• GC/FTIR for complementary semivolatile screening
• Infrared spectroscopy (IR) for total petroleum hydrocarbon analysis

Main Results and Discussion

Agilent’s EPA-method standards cover:

• Volatile halogenated and non-halogenated organics (Methods 8010B, 8015C, 8021B, 8240B, 8260B)
• Aromatic volatiles and methyl tert-butyl ether (8020A)
• Aliphatic hydrocarbons (8021C)
• Herbicides, pesticides, organophosphates, and nitrosamines (8041B, 8141B, 8070A, 8080A, 8081B, 8082A)
• Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (8100, 8310) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (8440)
• Explosives, nitroaromatics, and nitroglycerin (8095, 8330A, 8332)
• Dioxins and furans by high-resolution MS (8280B/8290A)

Each method mix is available in single-component, multi-component, internal, surrogate, and spiking configurations. Multiplex kits simplify procurement and ensure compatibility.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Agilent CRMs enable laboratories to:

• Perform method development, validation, and QC checks
• Calibrate and maintain GC, GC/MS, HPLC, and IR systems
• Comply with EPA and GHS regulations
• Customize reference materials for unique matrices or analyte lists
• Reduce turnaround time via global distribution and rapid logistics

These standards support environmental monitoring, industrial process control, food safety, pharmaceutical QA/QC, and academic research.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry and tandem techniques will drive demand for lower-level, higher-purity CRMs. Digital certificate delivery, QR-coded vials, and integration with LIMS will streamline QC workflows. Emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, microplastics additives, and new pesticide formulations, will require expanded method coverage and custom formulation capabilities.

Conclusion

Agilent’s ULTRA EPA groundwater standards portfolio delivers comprehensive, ISO-certified reference materials aligned with EPA Methods 8010B–8440. Through rigorous QC, triple accreditation, and flexible product configurations, Agilent enables laboratories worldwide to achieve consistent, accurate results and maintain regulatory compliance.

References

• Agilent Technologies. EPA Groundwater Standards: Your Essential Resource for Agilent ULTRA Chemical Standards. March 2019.