Vanadium can be found in waste that result from chemical cleaning of components in which the metal is alloyed.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems permits or other standards, or both, require monitoring pollutants in waste discharged onto the water shed of, or into, navigable waters, and those disposed of in such a manner that eventual contamination of underground water could result.

This test method affords an accurate and sensitive means of determining compliance or noncompliance, or both, with those permits.

1.1 This test method covers the determination of dissolved and total recoverable vanadium in most waters and wastewater by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

1.2 The optimum range of this test method is 10 to 200 μg/L of vanadium based on a 20-L sample size. Concentrations higher than 200 g/L may be determined by proper dilution of sample. A detection level as low as 4 μg/L of vanadium has been reported.

1.3 This test method has been used successfully with reagent water, lake water, tap water, river water, condensate from a medium Btu coal gasification process, and well water. It is the user's responsibility to ensure the validity of this test method for waters of untested matrices.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability or regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.4 Former Test Method A (Catalytic) was discontinued. Refer to Appendix X1 for historical information.