CALIBRATION AND DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE FATTY-ACIDS IN WASTE LEACHATES BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY

Low-level radioactive waste leachates were analyzed for volatile fatty acids by gas chromatography as part of the continuing waste managemen t program at the Chalk River Laboratories. An existing method was opti mized whereby carboxylic acids were detected at the mg/l level with a precision of 5% or better for C-2-C-7 acids and an accuracy of 3% or b etter for acetic acid. Parameters such as sample handling, calibration and accuracy are discussed.