The EMB Memorandum Circular No. 012-16, issued on November 21, 2016, outlines the approved methods of analysis for water and wastewater as mandated by the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 and relevant administrative orders. The circular provides a comprehensive list of analytical methods that laboratories must utilize for testing various parameters in freshwater, groundwater, marine waters, and wastewater. It references the latest standards from the American Public Health Association and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The memorandum aims to ensure consistency and quality in water testing across the Philippines and takes effect immediately.
November 21, 2016
EMB MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 012-16
| SUBJECT | : | EMB Approved Methods of Analysis for Water and Wastewater |
Pursuant to Section 19g of Republic Act 9275, otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004; Rule 19.7 of DENR Administrative Order No. 2005-10 (Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9275); and DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08 (Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of 2016), the EMB Approved Methods of Analysis for Water and Wastewater listed below is hereby adopted.
The list of analytical methods shall be used as reference for laboratories in the conduct of testing for water (freshwaters, groundwater, marine waters) and wastewater in accordance with the latest edition of the "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater" published by the American Public Health Association/American Water Works Association/Water Environment Federation (APHA/AWWA/WEF), the latest edition of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) test methods contained in SW-846: Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Wastes, Physical/Chemical Methods, and/or in accordance with such other methods of analysis as the EMB may prescribe.
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PARAMETERS AND UNITS
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ANALYTICAL METHOD/S
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REFERENCE/S
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| Ammonia as NH3-N, mg/L | Ammonia — Selective Electrode Method | SMEWW 4500-NH3 D |
| Phenate Method | SMEWW 4500-NH3 F | |
| Automated Phenate Method | SMEWW 4500-NH3 G | |
| Arsenic, mg/L | Silver Diethyldithiocarbamate Method | SMEWW 3500-As B |
| Manual Hydride Generation/Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 3114 B | |
| Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3113 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Emission Spectroscopy Method (Nitric Acid — Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3120 (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3125 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Barium, mg/L | Direct Nitrous Oxide-Acetylene Flame Method (Nitric Acid — Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3111 D (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) |
| N.B. Extraction/Nitrous-Oxide — Acetylene Flame Method for marine waters or samples with high concentration of dissolved solids | SMEWW 3111 E | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Emission Spectroscopy Method (Nitric Acid — Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3120 (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3125 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3113 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Benzo(a)pyrene, µg/L | High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method | SMEWW 6440 B/US EPA 8310 |
| Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6410 B/US EPA 8270 | |
| Gas Chromatographic/Flame Ionization Detector Method | SMEWW 6440 B/US EPA 8100 | |
| BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene); Trichloroethylene, mg/L | Purge and Trap Capillary-Column Gas Chromatographic Method | SMEWW 6200 C/US EPA 8021 |
| Purge and Trap Capillary-Column Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6200 B/US EPA 8260 | |
| Equilibrium Headspace Analysis/Capillary-Column Gas Chromatographic Method | US EPA 5021/US EPA 8021 | |
| BOD, mg/L | 5-Day BOD Test | SMEWW 5210 B |
| Boron, mg/L | Curcumin Method | SMEWW 4500-B B |
| Carmine Method | SMEWW 4500-B C | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Emission Spectroscopy Method (Nitric Acid-Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3120 (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3125 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Cadmium, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Nickel, Zinc, mg/L | Direct Air-Acetylene Flame Method | SMEWW 3111 B (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) SMEWW 3111 C |
| 2 (Nitric Acid-Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) N.B. Extraction/Air-Acetylene Flame Method for marine waters or samples with high concentration of dissolved solids | ||
| 1Copper as Dissolved Copper, mg/L | Inductively Coupled Plasma — Emission Spectroscopy Method (Nitric Acid-Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3120 (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3125 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| 3Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3113 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| N.B. | SMEWW 3030 B | |
| 1. Filter samples through 0.45µm membrane filters for dissolved copper | SMEWW 3030 E | |
| 2. Use Nitric Acid Digestion for Lead | ||
| 3. Not applicable for Zinc determination | ||
| Chemical Oxygen Demand, mg/L | Open Reflux Method | SMEWW 5220 B |
| Closed Reflux, Titrimetric Method | SMEWW 5220 C | |
| Closed Reflux, Colorimetric Method | SMEWW 5220 D | |
| Chloride, mg/L | Argentometric Method | SMEWW 4500-C1- B |
| Potentiometric Method | SMEWW 4500-C1- D | |
| Ion Chromatography with Chemical Suppression of Eluent Conductivity | SMEWW 4110 B | |
| Chromium as Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+), mg/L | Colorimetric Method | SMEWW 3500-Cr B |
| Coliform, Fecal MPN/100 mL | Multiple Tube Fermentation Technique — Fecal Coliform Procedure | SMEWW 9221 E |
| Coliform, Total MPN/100 mL | Multiple Tube Fermentation Technique — Standard Total Coliform Fermentation Technique | SMEWW 9221 B |
| Enzyme Substrate Test | SMEWW 9223 B | |
| Color (True), TCU | Visual Comparison Method | SMEWW 2120 B |
| Cyanide as Free Cyanide, mg/L | Cyanide — Selective Electrode (w/o distillation) | SMEWW 4500-CN- F/US EPA 9213 |
| Dissolved Oxygen, mg/L | Iodometric Methods | SMEWW 4500-O B to SMEWW 4500-O F |
| Membrane Electrode Method | SMEWW 4500-O G | |
| Fluoride, mg/L | Ion-Selective Electrode Method | SMEWW 4500-F- C |
| SPADNS Method | SMEWW 4500-F- D | |
| Ion Chromatography with Chemical Suppression of Eluent Conductivity | SMEWW 4110 B | |
| Malathion (Organophosphate), µg/L | Gas Chromatographic/Flame Photometric Detector Method | US EPA 8141 |
| Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6410 B/US EPA 8270 | |
| Mercury, mg/L | Cold — Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric Method | SMEWW 3112 B/US EPA 7470 |
| Cold — Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry | US EPA 245.7 | |
| Nitrate as NO3-N, mg/L | Cadmium Reduction Method with Nitrite correction using Colorimetric Method | SMEWW 4500-NO3- E |
| SMEWW 4500-NO2- B | ||
| Ion Chromatography with Chemical Suppression of Eluent Conductivity | SMEWW 4110 B | |
| Nitrate Electrode Method | SMEWW 4500-NO3- D/US EPA 9210 | |
| Colorimetric, Brucine | US EPA 352.1 | |
| Oil and Grease, mg/L | Liquid-Liquid, Partition — Gravimetric Method | SMEWW 5520 B |
| Solid — Phase, Partition Gravimetric Method | SMEWW 5520 G | |
| Organochlorine Pesticides, µg/L | Gas Chromatographic/Electron Capture Detector Method | SMEWW 6630 B/ |
| SMEWW 6630 C/US EPA 8081 | ||
| Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6410 B/US EPA 8270 | |
| pH | Electrometric Method | SMEWW 4500-H+ B |
| Phenol and Phenolic Substances, mg/L | Gas Chromatographic Method | SMEWW 6420 B/US EPA 8041 |
| Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6420 C/US EPA 8270 | |
| Phosphate, mg/L | Vanadomolybdophosphoric Acid Colorimetric Method | SMEWW 4500-P C |
| Stannous Chloride Method | SMEWW 4500-P D | |
| Ascorbic Acid Method | SMEWW 4500-P E | |
| Automated Ascorbic Acid Reduction Method | SMEWW 4500-P F | |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls, µg/L | Gas Chromatographic/Electron Capture Detector Method | SMEWW 6630 B/SMEWW 6630 C/US EPA 8082 |
| Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 6410 B/US EPA 8270 | |
| Selenium, mg/L | Manual Hydride Generation/Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method | SMEWW 3114 B |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma/Emission Spectroscopy Method (Nitric Acid — Hydrochloric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3120 | |
| (SMEWW 3030 F/US EPA 3010 or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | ||
| Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3125 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric Method (Nitric Acid/Hotplate or Microwave — Assisted Digestion) | SMEWW 3113 (SMEWW 3030 E or SMEWW 3030 K/US EPA 3015) | |
| Sulfate, mg/L | Turbidimetric Method | SMEWW 4500-SO42- E |
| Automated Methylthymol Blue Method | SMEWW 4500-SO42- F | |
| Ion Chromatography with Chemical Suppression of Eluent Conductivity | SMEWW 4110 B | |
| Surfactants (Methylene Blue Active Substances), mg/L | Anionic Surfactants as MBAS | SMEWW 5540 C |
| Temperature, ºC | Laboratory and Field Methods | SMEWW 2550 B |
| Total Suspended Solids, mg/L | Gravimetric, Dried at 103-105ºC | SMEWW 2540 D |
All other issuances which are inconsistent with this Memorandum Circular are hereby amended accordingly. CAIHTE
This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.
(SGD.) GILBERT C. GONZALES
Director