CLU-IN | Contaminants > Dioxins > Detection and Site Characterization

Dioxins

Detection and Site Characterization

The purpose of this section is to identify analytical and sampling methods commonly used for detecting, measuring, and/or monitoring dioxins that are available on line. The intent is not to provide an exhaustive list of analytical methods, but to identify well-established, standard methods, particularly those used for environmental samples and approved by EPA. Check the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) to identify methods for dioxins not cited on this page. NEMI is a free, searchable clearinghouse of methods and procedures for regulatory and non-regulatory analyses.

Determining the presence of dioxins at a site can be a matter of simple screening; however, determining which dioxins, specifically which of the toxic dioxins, are present involves speciation testing. Highly sophisticated (and costly) measurement techniques and technologies are required to test for the presence of the 29 dioxins identified as having toxic effects.

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Laboratory Methods | Sediment Screening | Sampling | Literature References

Laboratory Methods

Analytical Methods

An improved clean-up strategy for simultaneous analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in fatty food samples
Catherine Pirard, Jean-Franï¿½ois Focant, and Edwin De Pauw
Anal Bioanal Chem (2002) 372 :373-381

Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-9A Determination Of Polychlorinated, Polybrominated and Brominated/Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins And Dibenzofurans In Ambient Air
U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, EPA/625/R-96/010b, 94 pp. January 1999

Dioxins in Food and Feed - Reference Methods and New Certified Reference Materials (DIFFERENCE)
RIVO-Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research. 75pp, 2002

Importance of clean-up for comparison of TEQ-values obtained by CALUX and chemo-analysis
N. Van Wouwea et al.
Talanta 63 (2004) 1269-1272, 4pp

Method 613-2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin
40 CFR 136, Appendix A: Methods for Organic Chemical Analysis of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater.

Method 1613: Tetra- Through Octa- Chlorinated Dioxins and Furans by Isotope Dilution HRGC/HRMS
U.S. EPA, Office of Water. EPA 821-B-94-005, 89 pp, Revision B, 1994.

Multi-Media, Multi-Concentration Dioxin and Furan Analytical Service for Superfund (DLM02.0). Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA 540-F-05-003, OSWER 9240.1-48FS, 4 pp, 2005.
Contact: Elizabeth Holman, holman.elizabeth@epa.gov

Multi-Media, Multi-Concentration Dioxins and Furans Analysis, DLM02.0 (a Non-Routine Analytical Service)
U.S. EPA, Superfund Analytical Services/Contract Laboratory Program (CLP). 186 pp, 2005.
Contact: Willie Wong, wong.willie@epa.gov

National Functional Guidelines for Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Chlorinated Dibenzofurans (CDFs) Data Review
U.S. EPA Analytical Services Branch
EPA 540-R-05-001, OSWER 9240.1-51, 68 pp, 2005.

Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases
United Nations Environment Programme, 250 pp, February 2002

Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Wastes: Physical/Chemical Methods, 3rd Edition
U.S. EPA, SW-846.

Toxicological Profile for Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs), Chapter 6.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 22 pp, 1998.
Contact: ATSDR Information Center, ATSDRIC@cdc.gov

Sediment Screening

Analysis of Uncertainty in Estimating Dioxin Bioaccumulation Potential in Sediment-Exposed Benthos
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC TN-DOER-R5, 18 pp. September 2004

Biomarker-Based Analysis for Contaminants in Sediments/Soil: Review of Cell-Based Assays and cDNA Arrays
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dredging Operations Environmental Research Program.
ERDC TN-DOER-C19, 11 pp, 2000.
Contact: Laura S. Inouye, inouyel@wes.army.mil

Comparison of Two Cell-Based Assays for Screening Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Sediments
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dredging Operations Environmental Research Program.
Technical Note DOER-C8, 12 pp, 1999.
Contact: Victor A. McFarland, mcfarlv@ex1.wes.army.mil

Guidance for Performance of the H4IIE Dioxin Screening Assay
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dredging Operations Environmental Research Program.
Technical Note DOER-C1, 24 pp, 1998.
Contact: Victor A. McFarland, mcfarlv@ex1.wes.army.mil

Protocols for a Rapid Clean-Up/Extraction Procedure and an Improved P450RGS Dioxin Screening Assay for Sediments
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dredging Operations Environmental Research Program.
ERDC TN-DOER-C10, 28 pp, 2000.
Contact: Laura S. Inouye, inouyel@wes.army.mil

Sampling

Dioxin Tool Box
U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, 2011.

The Dioxin Tool Box is composed of several technical documents intended to assist Superfund Project Managers in the sampling and analysis of dioxin contaminated soils. It includes: technical information on using incremental composite sampling (ICS) to evaluate dioxin contaminated soil, an ICS example quality assurance project plan in the format of the Unified Federal Policy, fact sheets on the capabilities of Non Routine Analytical Services (NRAS) of the Technology Innovation and Field Services Division/ Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, and a fact sheet on management of dioxin contaminated soils.

The Use of Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMDS) for Monitoring Dioxin Levels in Maine Rivers
Bjorn Anders Lake
Masters Thesis, University of Maine, 184 pp, 2003

Advanced Monitoring Systems Center Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program

bm becker messtechnik gmbh Adsorption Method for Sampling Dioxins and Furans (AMESA)
IDX Technologies, Ltd. Resonance Ionization with Multi-Mirror System Photon Accumulation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (RIMMPA-TOFMS)
Monitoring Systems GmbH DioxinMonitoringSystem
Southern Research Institute (SRI) Jet-REMPI (Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization)

Technologies for Monitoring and Measurement of Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Soil and Sediment: Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program Innovative Technology Verification Reports

Xenobiotic Detection Systems, Inc., CALUX(R) by XDS, EPA 540-R-05-001, 2005.
Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. Dioxin ELISA Kit, EPA 540-R-05-002, 2005.
Abraxis LLC Coplanar PCB ELISA Kit, EPA 540-R-05-003, 2005.
CAPE Technologies LLC, DF1 Dioxin/Furan Immunoassay Kit, EPA 540-R-05-004, 2005.
Hybrizyme Corporation AhRC PCR(TM) Kit, EPA 540-R-05-005, 2005.
Final Report on the Performance of the Eichrom Technologies Procept® Rapid Dioxin Assay for Soil and Sediment Samples, EPA 540-R-11-002. 2011.

Literature References

Measurement and Monitoring Technologies for the 21st Century Initiative (21M²) Literature Search
Through the Measurement and Monitoring Technologies for the 21st Century initiative, EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) will identify and deploy promising measurement and monitoring technologies in response to waste management and site cleanup program needs by matching existing and emerging technologies with OSWER program and client needs.

U.S. EPA Contaminated Site Cleanup Information (CLU-IN)

Dioxins

Detection and Site Characterization