Laboratory data from testing parameters of EPA Method 3060A on Soils Contaminated with Chromium or Processing Residue 2013-2016

It has been shown that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 3060A does not adequately extract Cr(VI) from solids containing chromium ore processing residue (COPR). We systematically modified parameters of EPA 3060A towards improving extraction efficiency of Cr(VI) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard reference material (SRM) 2701, a standard COPR-contaminated soil from New Jersey, USA. A material similar to NIST 2701 prepared in the laboratory from contaminated soil referred to as 2B was also analyzed. Extraction parameters tested were particle size, glass or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) extraction vessels, volume of extraction solution to mass of sample, and extraction time. In addition to Cr(VI), post extraction fluid was analyzed for total Cr, Al, Si, B, Fe, V, Ca, Mg. Select solid residues of extracted NIST 2701 were analyzed for mineralogy by qualitative X-ray diffraction and for total chemistry by lithium metaborate fusion followed by ICP-OES.