The Best Methods for the Best Results

Beacon provides analysis of passive soil gas samples following U.S. EPA Method 8260C, with results based on an initial five-point calibration and internal standards and surrogates included with each analysis. The reporting limit (RL) is at or above the low point of the initial calibration, ensuring defensible data.

Other passive soil gas methods are known to base their results on an external calibration method and calibrate at quantities that are greater than an order of magnitude above their reporting limits, but refer to the method as being Method 8260 (i.e., claim a reporting limit of 25 ng but have 250 ng or higher as the low point of the calibration). These deficiencies are not in agreement with EPA Method 8260 nor are they acceptable for soil or groundwater analysis and should not be accepted as valid for passive soil gas analyses.

In addition, other passive soil gas technologies that use a membrane, which may act as a competing adsorbent, claim that concentration data can be reported; however, these technologies have not determined the uptake rates for the range of compounds being targeted, which suggests the data are less defensible.