Available Cyanide by OIA 1677
An effective analytical method for determining the amount of cyanide in water and solid samples is Available Cyanide using method OIA 1677 by Ligand Exchange and Flow Injection Analysis. OIA 1677 for Available Cyanide analysis is a U.S. EPA-approved method for samples collected and analyzed in support of the Clean Water Act (CWA) , Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and CERCLA/SARA (Superfund).
Water samples collected for Available Cyanide require sample pretreatment in the field to remove potential interferences from sulfide. Merit Laboratories provides an Available Cyanide field prep kit that includes sample bottles, membrane filter, plastic powder funnel, filter paper, lead carbonate, and sodium hydroxide. To avoid analyte loss, samples must be filtered prior to the lead carbonate pretreatment. There are safety precautions that must be followed when performing pretreatment of samples, including the use of safety glasses and gloves. A summary of the pretreatment procedure is as follows:
- Filter the collected water sample using the powder funnel and filter paper into the bottle with lead carbonate until completely filled. This step prevents analyte loss.
- Cap the lead carbonate bottle and gently swirl to mix the water sample with lead carbonate. Set aside.
- Put the used filter paper in to the sample bottle labeled lead carbonate/sodium hydroxide.
- Place the membrane filter into the opening of the lead carbonate/sodium hydroxide bottle. Open the lead carbonate bottle and pour the sample into the membrane filter apparatus so that it filters into the lead carbonate/sodium hydroxide bottle.
- Cap the container and affix your sample label.
Merit Laboratories analyzes Available Cyanide by OIA 1677 on a variety of sample matrices, including wastewater, drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil. Reporting limits (RLs) and method detection limits (MDLs) using OIA 1677 for Available Cyanide are lower than other cyanide methods. The RL for Water is 0.002 mg/L with an MDL of 0.0009 mg/L. For soil samples, the RL is 0.02 mg/kg with an MDL of 0.009 mg/kg. Please contact Merit Laboratories for guidance on Available Cyanide testing.