Innovative Technology Verification Report

Horiba Instruments Incorporated
OCMA-350 Oil Content Analyzer

EPA/600/R-01/089
September 2001

The OCMA-350 Oil Content Analyzer (OCMA-350) developed by Horiba Instruments Incorporated
(Horiba), was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation Program in June 2000 at the Navy Base Ventura County site in Port
Hueneme, California. The purpose of the demonstration was to collect reliable performance and cost
data for the OCMA-350 and six other field measurement devices for total petroleum hydrocarbons
(TPH) in soil. In addition to assessing ease of device operation, the key objectives of the
demonstration included determining the (1) method detection limit, (2) accuracy and precision, (3)
effects of interferents and soil moisture content on TPH measurement, (4) sample throughput, and
(5) TPH measurement costs for each device. The demonstration involved analysis of both
performance evaluation samples and environmental samples collected in five areas contaminated
with gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, or other petroleum products. The performance and cost results
for a given field measurement device were compared to those for an off-site laboratory reference
method, “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste” (SW-846) Method 8015B (modified). During
the demonstration, Horiba required 46 hours, 15 minutes, for TPH measurement of 199 samples and
9 extract duplicates. The TPH measurement costs for these samples were estimated to be $15,750
for the OCMA-350 compared to $42,050 for the reference method. The method detection limits
were determined to be 15.2 and 4.79 milligrams per kilogram for the OCMA-350 and reference
method, respectively. During the demonstration, the OCMA-350 exhibited good precision and
sensitivity to interferents that are petroleum hydrocarbons (methyl-tert-butyl ether and Stoddard
solvent). However, the OCMA-350 TPH results (1) did not compare well with the reference method
results for the performance evaluation samples and (2) were significantly impacted by soil moisture
content and by turpentine, an interferent that is not a petroleum hydrocarbon. In addition, some of
the items in the OCMA-350 made the TPH measurement procedure less simple and more timeconsuming
during the demonstration. Collectively, the demonstration findings indicated that the
OCMA-350 may be considered for TPH screening purposes; however, the user should exercise
caution when considering the device for a field TPH measurement application requiring definitive
results.

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Posted December 03, 2001
Jesse Armstrong
Computer Sciences Corporation