Hydrocarbons Test

Overview

This panel quantifies 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum-related compounds by EPA Method 8270C, reported in parts per billion. PAHs come from fuel spills, two-stroke engine exhaust, road runoff, parking lot washoff, and anything that burns. They are persistent, they bind tightly to sediment, and several are carcinogenic and bioaccumulative. This is the panel for lakes with a marina, a highway along the shoreline, a boat launch, an airport nearby, or a history of fuel storage.

WHAT THIS PANEL COVERS AND WHAT IT DOES NOT

Covers: 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water, spanning three weight classes — light (naphthalene, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene), mid-weight (acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene), and heavy (benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, chrysene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, pyrene). Reported individually in parts per billion.

Does not cover: sediment, which is where hydrocarbons actually accumulate — this kit collects water only. Gasoline-range and diesel-range total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), which are separate analyses. BTEX compounds — benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene. Fuel fingerprinting to identify a specific product or responsible party. Toxicity assessment.

Detection limits: reporting limit 330 ppb, with individual method detection limits from roughly 13 to 137 ppb depending on compound. Several PAHs affect aquatic life below those thresholds, so a non-detect on this panel means no significant contamination — not zero. For low-level or legally defensible PAH data, contact the Boathouse before ordering.

What problem does this solve for our lake?

Hydrocarbons behave differently from nutrients or bacteria, and that difference shapes how you should test for them. They do not dissolve well. They arrive attached to particles, and they settle. Within days of entering a lake most PAH mass has moved out of the water column and into the bottom sediment, where it stays for years or decades. That means a water sample taken a week after a spill can come back nearly clean while the sediment beneath the marina holds a substantial accumulated load. They also concentrate up the food chain. Benthic organisms living in contaminated sediment take them up, fish eat those organisms, and the compounds accumulate. Several on this panel — benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene — are recognized carcinogens. The panel spans three weight classes, which matters diagnostically. The light compounds (naphthalene and the methylnaphthalenes) indicate fresh petroleum — a recent leak or spill. The mid-weight compounds (acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene) point toward general fossil-fuel residue. The heavy compounds (benzo and indeno compounds) are combustion products from engines, road surfaces, and burning, and they are the most persistent and the most toxic. Which group dominates tells you whether you are looking at a leak or at decades of accumulated road and engine runoff.

What's included?

• A complete hydrocarbon pollutants test kit shipped directly to you
• All materials required for clean, contamination-free sample collection
• Step-by-step collection and preservation instructions
• Prepaid 2-day return shipping to our certified partner laboratory
• Analysis by EPA-approved methods at an accredited partner laboratory, with full chain of custody
• Results loaded automatically into your lake's account

What's not included

• Sample collection. You collect the sample; we supply everything you need to do it correctly.
• Boat, dock, or shoreline access to your sampling site
• Depth-profile sampling. This is a single grab sample unless you order multiple kits.
• Ice or a cooler for shipping, which you supply
• Treatment, remediation, or applicator services
• A written management plan. The Boathouse can help you interpret results and decide next steps.
• Sediment analysis, which is where hydrocarbons actually accumulate. Contact the Boathouse if sediment is what you need — the collection method and container differ.
• Gasoline-range or diesel-range total petroleum hydrocarbons, which are separate analyses
• BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene)
• Fingerprinting to identify a specific fuel source or responsible party

Requirements

• IMPORTANT — read the detection limits before you order. This method carries a reporting limit of 330 ppb with individual detection limits ranging from about 13 to 137 ppb. Those limits are appropriate for identifying contamination, but they sit above the concentrations at which some PAHs affect aquatic life. A non-detect on this panel means no significant contamination; it does not mean zero. If you need low-level detection for a regulatory or legal matter, contact the Boathouse before ordering.
• A sample collected in the amber glass container provided, filled with no headspace, and not rinsed
• No sunscreen, insect repellent, or two-stroke fuel residue on hands or equipment — these will contaminate the sample
• Same-day shipment after collection, kept cold
• A Plus, Lake Admin, or PRO subscription to have results loaded into your Lake Pulse account
• Questions about site selection, timing, or which test fits your lake? Contact the Lake Pulse Boathouse before you order.