The following documents provide the regulated community with a compilation of recommended laboratory protocols, for the generation of analytical data used in support of assessment and evaluation decisions at disposal sites regulated under M.G.L.c. 21E and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).  These laboratory protocols include recommended analytical methods, reporting limit requirements, method-specific QC requirements and performance standards.

Compliance with the QC requirements and performance standards for these protocols will result in analytical data with "Presumptive Certainty" status.  Analytical data with "Presumptive Certainty" status are data for which the MassDEP stipulates the precision, accuracy, and sensitivity have been adequately determined.   Depending on the nature and use of the analytical data, a separate evaluation may be necessary to confirm that the quality and representativeness of data are sufficient for its intended use in support of a response action decision.  Data that achieve "Presumptive Certainty" status must still be assessed for usability and representativeness in comparison to project objectives as specified in 310 CMR 40.1056(2)(k) and further described in the MassDEP Policy #WSC-07-350, MCP Representativeness Evaluations and Data Usability Assessments.

Adherence to this approach will promote inter-laboratory consistency and provide the regulated community with a greater degree of certainty regarding the quality of data used for MCP decision-making.  MassDEP's issuance of these CAM requirements and performance standards is in no way intended to preempt the exercise of professional judgment by the data user in regards to the selection of analytical methods and associated QC requirements.  However, it must be clearly understood that if an alternative analytical method is chosen to support MCP decisions, the data user is responsible for independently demonstrating the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, representativeness and overall usability for all analytical data pursuant to the requirements of 310 CMR 40.0017, 40.0191(2), and 40.1056(2)(k).

It should be noted that this document does not provide any specific guidance regarding proper sampling procedures, approaches to achieve representative sampling nor the type and frequency of field QC samples required to evaluate overall data representativeness or usability. 

Documents are presented in both Microsoft Office Word and Adobe Acrobat formats.  The Adobe format includes sectional bookmarks for the protocol status, analytical method overview, quality control requirements and performance standards table, and target analyte list.

Comments and recommendations on these procedures should be directed to:
bwsc.cam@state.ma.us

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The effective date for Cleanup of Sites & Spills: WSC #10-320: Compendium of Quality Control Requirements and Performance Standards for Selected Analytical Protocols is July 1, 2010.   For the purpose of meeting the requirements for "Presumptive Certainty," these protocols must be used on analyses conducted on or after July 1, 2010.  These protocols may also be used optionally prior to July 1, 2010 (i.e., either the 2010 protocols or the original 2004 protocols may be used during the period prior to July 1, 2010).

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Overview of the MCP Analytical Data Enhancement Process

Preface, Table of Contents, Background
July 2010
MS Word 338 KB | PDF 62 KB

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A. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Volatile Organic  Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

July 2010 (6/30/10 - Revised performance standard and corrective action for the continuing calibration in Table II A-1)
MS Word 1.1 MB | PDF 459 KB

B. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of  Semivolatile Organic Compounds by by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) 

July 2010
MS Word 1 MB | PDF 410 KB

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A. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Trace Metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)

July 2010
MS Word 637 KB | PDF 375 KB

B. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Mercury by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption (CVAA) Spectrometry

July 2010
MS Word 504 KB | PDF 249 KB 

C. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Trace Metals by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (GFAA) Spectrometry 

July 2010
MS Word 529 KB | PDF 369 KB

D. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Trace Metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

July 2010
MS Word 749 KB | PDF 352 KB

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A. Method and QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons (VPH)

VPH Analytical Method
May 2004
MS Word 1.5 MB | PDF 640 KB

VPH CAM Protocol 
July 2010
MS Word 580 KB | PDF 352 KB

B. Method and QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH)

EPH Analytical Method
May 2004
MS Word 1.2 MB | PDF 1.2 MB

EPH CAM Protocol
July 2010
MS Word 966 KB | PDF 1.3 MB

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A. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) by Gas Chromatography (GC)

July 2010
MS Word 684 KB | PDF 367 KB

B. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Chlorinated Pesticides by Gas Chromatography (GC)

July 2010
MS Word 639 KB | PDF 349 KB

C. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Chlorinated Herbicides by Gas Chromatography (GC)

July 2010
MS Word 565 KB | PDF 282 KB

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A. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of  Total Cyanide and Physiologically Available Cyanide (PAC)

July 2010
MS Word 1.1 MB | PDF 401 KB

B. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), by UV-Visible Spectrophotometry

July 2010 (6/30/10 - Revised ASTM method number for ORP in Section 1.6)
MS Word 1 MB | PDF 369 KB

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A. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Guidelines for the Acquisition and Reporting of Analytical Data

July 2010
MS Word 978 KB | PDF 312 KB

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A. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Nitroaromatics and Nitramines by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

July 2010
MS Word 660 KB | PDF 346 KB

B. QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Perchlorate by Ion Chromatography (IC) with Electrospray Ionization/Mass Spectrometry (ESI/MS or ESI/MS/MS) or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with ESI/MS or ESI/MS/MS

July 2010
MS Word 555 KB | PDF 315 KB

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A.  QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Air-Phase Petroleum Hydrocarbons (APH) by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Final APH Analytical Method
December 2009
MS Word 1 MB | PDF 890 KB

APH CAM Protocol 
July 2010
MS Word 264 KB | PDF 966 KB

B.  QC Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Air Samples (TO-15) by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

July 2010
MS Word 955 KB | PDF 385 KB

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Analyte List: List of Target Analytes

MS Word 38 KB | PDF 56 KB

Analytical Certification, Reporting, and Request Forms

MassDEP Analytical Protocol Certification Form
July 2010
MS Word 38 KB | PDF 96 KB

Optional MCP Analytical Services Request Form
July 2010
MS Word 33 KB | PDF 88 KB

VPH Data Reporting Form 
May 2004
MS Word 118 KB | PDF 87 KB

EPH Data Reporting Form
May 2004
MS Word 356 KB | PDF 77 KB

TPH Data Reporting Form
May 2004
MS Word 349 KB | PDF 75 KB

APH Data Reporting Form
December 2009
MS Word 136 KB | PDF 115 KB

Analytical Data Enhancement Program: Continuing Education Seminar

DEP/LSPA 2010 Spring Training Seminar
Web page

APH Analytical Method Calculation Worksheets

Web page

CAM Protocols: Questions & Answers

Web page

EPA Methods - SW-846 Methods

Web page

Glossary

Web page | PDF 255 KB

MassDEP Double-Blind Laboratory Evaluation Program

Results of the 2004-2005 Double-Blind Evaluation of 19 laboratories.
Web Page

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