Technology assessment of field portable instrumentation for use at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Final report, May 1987-March 1988

An assessment was made of commercially available field instrumentation for analysis of samples at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The analytes considered were metals, volatile organics, and semivolatile organics. Colorimetric tests for metals are recommended for screening, with positives being confirmed by microwave digestion followed by portable atomic absorption. A portable mercury monitor is recommended for this analysis. Portable X-ray fluorescence is recommended for higher levels of inorganics. For volatile organics, purge and trap and heated headspace followed by portable gas chromatography are recommended. For semivolatiles in soil, SOXTEC extraction and gas or thin-layer chromatography are recommended. For semivolatiles in water, solvent extraction using a MIXXOR is recommended.