The TSEC provides a quantitative measure of the total solvent extractable organic content of the solid waste in question. Based upon the TSEC, the extract may be analyzed or further processed (that is, further cleanup or solvent concentration) in preparation for analysis. Thus, the TSEC provides a quantitative measure for optimizing the extractable organic concentration prior to chemical analysis.

The TSEC of soil or waste material may be used as a quantitative measure for the screening and selection of samples for chemical analysis.

The TSEC may be useful as a simple and relatively inexpensive quantitative indicator of changes occurring in the total extractable organic content of soil or waste materials.

The detection limit of the TSEC depends upon the specific procedures employed. Typical detection limits in solvent extracts (that is, without solvent pre-concentration) for Method A are more than 1000 μg/g. For Method B typical detection limits are 20 to 100 μg/g in the solvent extract. For Method C the typical detection limits are 3 to 20 μg/g for solutes in the solvent extract.

The sensitivity of the methods can be adjusted by varying the volume of solvent extract prior to gravimetric residue determination.

1.1 These test methods describe standard procedures for gravimetrically determining the total nonvolatile and semi-volatile organic content of solvent extracts from soils or solid wastes. The following methods are included:

1.2 These methods are used after a solvent extract is obtained from a soil or solid waste. For these methods to be applicable, the extraction solvent must have a boiling point less than that of water at ambient pressure.

1.3 The total solvent extractable content (TSEC) of a soil, sediment, sludge, or solid waste depends upon the solvent and method used for the extraction procedure.