There are several standards for the determination of mineral oil content in various matrices, whether water, soil or mud. Each of these describes a test method for determining the hydrocarbon oil index by extraction in n-heptane followed by analysis by gas chromatography (GC).
The hydrocarbon oil index is the sum of the concentrations of long-chain and branched aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, and alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons present in the sample that can be extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent with a boiling point above 36 degrees Celsius.
One of these standards is the ISO 9377-2 standard, which is a European standard and reissued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (ISO 9377-2 Water quality - Determination of hydrocarbon oil index - Part 2: Method using solvent extraction and gas chromatography).
This standard describes a test method for determining the hydrocarbon oil index in waters using gas chromatography. This test method is suitable for surface water, wastewater and water from sewage treatment plants, where a hydrocarbon oil index is determined at concentrations above 0,1 mg/l.
The test method described is not applicable for the quantitative determination of essential mineral oil content. However, on the basis of the peak model of the gas chromatogram, certain qualitative information about the composition of the mineral oil contamination is obtained.
The following standard is complied with in determining the mineral oil content of soil and sediment: ISO/TR 11046 Soil quality - Determination of mineral oil content - By infrared spectrometry and gas chromatographic method.
The mass concentration of animal and vegetable fat in the test sample should not exceed 150 mg/l, because at higher values the adsorption capacity of the scrubbing column filler is not sufficient.
In the case of heavily polluted wastewater, a loss in recovery may occur, especially if it contains a high amount of surfactant.
Briefly, the hydrocarbon oil index is the total amount of compounds that can be extracted from the sample (drinking water, surface water and wastewater) with a non-polar solvent with a boiling point of 39-69 degrees.
Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides services for the determination of hydrocarbon oil index with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
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