Significance and Use

The chemical analysis of biological material, collected from such locations as streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans can provide information of environmental significance. The chemical analysis of biological material used in toxicity tests may be useful to better interpret the toxicological results.

Many aquatic biological samples, either as a result of their size, or their method of collection, are inherently heterogeneous in that they may contain occluded water in varying and unpredictable amounts and may contain foreign objects or material (for example, sediment) not ordinarily intended for analysis, the inclusion of which would result in inaccurate analysis.

Standard methods for separating foreign objects, to facilitate homogenization, will minimize errors due to poor mixing and inclusion of extraneous material.

Standardized procedures for drying provide a means for reporting analytical values to a common dry weight basis, if desired. Analyses may also be carried out or reported on a wet weight basis.

1. Scope

1.1 This guide describes procedures for the preparation of test samples collected from such locations as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, oceans, and toxicity tests and is applicable to such organisms as plankton, mollusks, fish, and plants.

1.2 The procedures are applicable to the determination of volatile, semivolatile, and nonvolatile inorganic constituents of biological materials. Analyses may be carried out or reported on either a dry or wet basis.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.4 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 of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific hazard statement, see 9.3.3.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D1129 Terminology Relating to Water

D1193 Specification for Reagent Water

Keywords

digestion; tissue homogenation: Aqueous environments; Biological data analysis--water applications; Chemical analysis--water applications; Digestion; Dry ashing; Estuarine environments; Fishes; Fresh water; Inorganic chemical analysis--water; Inorganic compounds--water; Marine environments; Molluscs; Nonmetallic materials; Nonvolatile matter content; Plankton; Sample preparation--water applications; Sampling water analysis applications; Semi-volatile organic/inorganic compounds; Specimen preparation (for testing)--water testing; Testing methods--water; Tissue homogenation; Toxicity/toxicology--water environments; Volatile matter content--water; Wet digestion;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 71.040.40 (Chemical analysis)

DOI: 10.1520/D4638-11

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM D4638