Analytical Methods for Petroleum Releases
Spills and releases of petroleum products are a leading source of environmental contamination. Petroleum products are a complex and highly variable mixture of hundreds of individual hydrocarbon compounds. Analytical Methods for Petroleum Releases Guidance Document should be reviewed by environmental professionals when deciding which analytical methods are most appropriate for the intended use of the data.
Additional Resources
- Underground Storage Tank Closure contains information regarding appropriate sample requirements
- Requesting Additional Polluting Substances contains a form to use Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH), Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons (VPH), or Air-Phase Petroleum Hydrocarbons (APH) to show compliance with the RBCRs
- Reasonable Confidence Protocols are provided for Methods 8260, 8070, ETPH, APH, EPH, and VPH Methods
The table below presents analytical methods for the characterization of petroleum releases. When designing an analytical plan, the environmental professional should consider the substances that may be present based on the site history and select the appropriate analytical methods to detect and characterize a release.
Analytical Methods for Evaluation of Petroleum Releases
| Petroleum Product Released | Analytical Methods for Identifying and Quantitating Releases For Non-Potable and Solid Matrices |
Analytical Methods for Identifying and Quantitating Releases For Potable Samples |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, Light Petroleum Solvents3 (Naphtha, Stoddard Solvent, mineral spirits, paint thinner, etc.) | 8260 or2 VPH (carbon ranges and target compounds) or2 VPH (carbon ranges only) and 8260 |
Samples from water supply wells should be analyzed using EPA drinking water Methods 524.2/3 for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). | Consider analysis for the following oxygenates/additives on a site-specific basis: ethanol, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), ethyl-tert-butyl-ether, tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), 1,2- dichloroethane, di-isopropyl ether, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), lead, and other fuel additives, such as ethylene dibromide (EDB), based on the CSM. |
| Jet Fuels, Kerosene, #2 Fuel Oil, Diesel3 |
8260, 8270 PAHs, and ETPH or2 VPH (carbon ranges and target compounds), 8270 PAHs, and ETPH or2 EPH and VPH (carbon ranges and target compounds for each method) |
Samples from water supply wells should be analyzed using EPA drinking water Methods 524.2/3 for VOCs and 525.2/3 for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). |
It may be appropriate to analyze for the full analyte list of 8270 (acids and base/ neutrals), not just PAHs. |
| #3 - #6 Fuel Oils, Lubricating Oils, Motor Oils, and Hydraulic Oils3 | ETPH and 8270 PAHs or2 EPH (carbon ranges and target compounds) |
Samples from water supply wells should be analyzed using EPA drinking water Method 525.2/3 for PAHs. |
It may be appropriate to analyze for the full analyte list of 8270 (acids and base/ neutrals), not just PAHs. Include testing for metals based on the CSM; include metals worn off during manufacturing processes or due to operation of equipment/machinery.4 |
| Waste Oils, Used Oils and Unknown Petroleum Substances3 | 8260, 8270, ETPH, metals, 8082, and VPH (carbon ranges only for VPH) or2 8260, 8270, metals, 8082, VPH and EPH (carbon ranges only for VPH/EPH) |
Samples from water supply wells should be analyzed using EPA drinking water Methods 524.2/3 for VOCs, 525.2/3 for semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), 200.7/8 for metals, and 505/508.1/525.2/3 for PCBs (samples from water supply wells that need to be tested for PCBs may have more difficulty achieving the required RL/LLOQs if using EPA Method 505). | Full analyte list of 8260 (volatiles) Full analyte list of 8270 (acids and base/ neutrals) Consider analysis for the following oxygenates/additives on a site-specific basis: ethanol, TBA, ethyl-tert-butyl-ether, TAME, 1,2-dichloroethane, di-isopropyl ether, MTBE, lead, and other fuel additives, such as EDB, based on the CSM. |
|
Transformer Oils, Mineral Oils and Dielectric Fluids |
EPH (carbon ranges and target compounds) and PCBs by 8082 or2 ETPH, 8270, and PCBs by 8082 |
Samples from water supply wells should be analyzed using EPA drinking water Method 525.2/3 for SVOCs. | It may be appropriate to analyze a subset of the EPA Method 8270 analyte list (e.g., PAHs). |
1See information regarding sampling and analytical methods for Underground Storage Tank Closure.
2The word “or” is used to present a list of other potential method combinations that can be used for characterization.
3Consider the CSM when selecting analytical methods as there may be other contaminants of concern that are not provided in this table and may be needed to characterize the release.
4Per Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Criteria Working Group Series, Volume 2, 1998.
DEEP will accept analytical data derived by EPA Method 418.1 for samples collected by June 30, 2009.
Content Last Updated July 21, 2026