🏞️ TPH · BTEX · PAHs · Metals · PCBs · VOCs · Pesticides · Ley 24.051 Table 9 · EPA SW846

Soil Contamination Analysis

Routine and specialised soil analysis for contaminated site investigations, remediation monitoring and agricultural management.

Biogroup analyses contaminated soils as a daily laboratory routine — applying EPA SW-846, ASTM, ISO and IRAM methods for the full spectrum of inorganic and organic contaminants. Results are compared against Argentine Ley 24.051 / Decree 831/93 Table 9 (the national soil quality guideline), EPA RSLs and international screening values for contaminated site classification.

From a petroleum hydrocarbon spill investigation at a petrol station to a full Phase II site characterisation for an industrial transaction — Biogroup provides the analytical data that drives remediation decisions.

60+ analytes
Full Ley 24.051 Table 9 capability
EPA SW-846
Validated EPA methods
GC-MS · ICP-MS
State-of-the-art instrumentation
+35 years
Contaminated site experience
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Contaminated site characterisation
Phase I & II environmental site assessments, due diligence transactions, regulatory submissions. Full analytical support from sample receipt to comparison against Ley 24.051 Table 9 and international screening values.
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Remediation progress monitoring
Periodic analytical monitoring during active remediation (landfarming, biopiles, ISCO) to track contaminant reduction — the evidence base for demonstrating cleanup goal achievement to regulators.
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Agricultural soil quality
Complete physicochemical characterisation for agricultural management — texture, pH, organic matter, CEC, macro and micronutrients, salinity and sodicity indices for fertilisation and land management planning.
Routine contaminant panel — daily laboratory analysis
The contaminants Biogroup analyses as a daily laboratory routine
These are the contaminants most frequently encountered in contaminated site investigations across Argentina's industrial, agro-industrial and petroleum sectors. All methods are validated against EPA SW-846 or equivalent international standards.
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Petroleum Hydrocarbons — full fractionated analysis
GC-FID · GC-MS · EPA 8015B · EPA 8260 · EPA 8270 · TX-1005 · TX-1006
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH)
Total quantification of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon contamination
GRO — Gasoline Range Organics
C6–C10 fraction · petrol and light solvents · volatile fraction
DRO — Diesel Range Organics
C10–C28 fraction · diesel fuel · kerosene · heating oil
MRO — Mineral Range Organics
C28–C36 fraction · lubricating oils · heavy mineral fractions
TPH C6–C28/36 (TX-1005)
Fractionated TPH with aliphatic/aromatic breakdown per Texas method
TPH Aromatic/Aliphatic chains (TX-1006)
Chain-opening fractionation — aliphatic chains C5–C35 and aromatics
MTBE — Methyl tert-Butyl Ether
Fuel oxygenate additive · high groundwater mobility · carcinogenic concern
TAME — tert-Amyl Methyl Ether
Alternative fuel oxygenate · petrol additive
FOC — Fuel Organic Carbon
Organic carbon from petroleum origin — bioremediation monitoring parameter
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BTEX · VOCs · SVOCs — volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds
Purge & trap GC-MS · EPA 8260B (VOCs) · EPA 8270D (SVOCs)
BTEX — Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes
The four most important soluble petroleum contaminants in groundwater. Benzene is a known human carcinogen (IARC Group 1) with no safe exposure level. Mobile, persistent and priority contaminants in any fuel-contaminated site.
Chlorinated solvents
TCE (trichloroethylene) · PCE (tetrachloroethylene) · DCE isomers · vinyl chloride · carbon tetrachloride — the dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) that sink below the water table and are the most challenging contaminants to remediate.
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PAHs — 16 EPA priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
HPLC-FLD · GC-MS · EPA 8270D · EPA 8310

The 16 EPA priority PAHs including the most carcinogenic compounds — benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene. Found in soils near gasification plants, coke ovens, aluminium smelters, asphalt facilities and any combustion-related industrial activity.

NaphthaleneAcenaphthyleneAcenaphtheneFluorenePhenanthreneAnthraceneFluoranthenePyreneBenzo(a)anthraceneChryseneBenzo(b)fluorantheneBenzo(k)fluorantheneBenzo(a)pyreneIndeno(1,2,3-cd)pyreneDibenzo(a,h)anthraceneBenzo(g,h,i)perylene
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Heavy metals and metalloids
ICP-MS · ICP-OES · AAS · EPA 3050B digestion · EPA 6020A · EPA 7000 series

Complete heavy metal profile with digestion per EPA 3050B (aqua regia) or EPA 3051A (microwave), analysis by ICP-MS at trace levels. Results compared against Ley 24.051 / Decree 831/93 Table 9 guideline values and international screening criteria (EPA RSLs, Dutch intervention values).

Arsenic (As)Antimony (Sb)Barium (Ba)Beryllium (Be)Boron (B)Cadmium (Cd)Chromium total (Cr)Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI)Cobalt (Co)Copper (Cu)Lead (Pb)Mercury (Hg)Molybdenum (Mo)Nickel (Ni)Silver (Ag)Selenium (Se)Tin (Sn)Thallium (Tl)Vanadium (V)Zinc (Zn)Cyanide (free)Cyanide (total)
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Pesticides, PCBs and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
GC-ECD · GC-MS · EPA 8081A · EPA 8082A · EPA 8270D
Organochlorine pesticides
DDT/DDE/DDD · endosulfan · lindane (α,β,γ-HCH) · aldrin · dieldrin · endrin · chlordane · heptachlor · hexachlorobenzene
Organophosphate pesticides
Chlorpyrifos · malathion · parathion · methyl parathion · diazinon · glyphosate (HPLC-MS/MS) · AMPA · methamidophos
PCBs and dioxins/furans
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — total and congener-specific · PCDD/PCDF (dioxins and furans) by HRGC-HRMS · TEQ reporting
Ley 24.051 / Decree 831/93 — Annex II, Table 9: full soil quality standard
The Argentine soil quality reference standard — all regulated substances
Decree 831/93 (Annex II, Table 9) establishes guideline values for soil contamination under Ley 24.051. Biogroup provides analytical capability for the complete Table 9 compound list — results reported with tabular comparison against regulatory thresholds.
Complete Table 9 analytical capability — 60+ regulated compounds
EstersAliphatic chlorinatedAliphatic non-chlorinatedAntimony (total)Arsenic (total)Barium (total)BenzeneBenzo(a)anthraceneBenzo(a)pyreneBenzo(b)fluorantheneBenzo(k)fluorantheneBeryllium (total)BoronCadmium (total)Free cyanideTotal cyanideZinc (total)ChlorobenzeneChlorobenzenesChlorophenolsMolybdenumCobaltNaphthaleneCopper (total)Nickel (total)Non-chlorinated phenolic compoundsPCBsChromium (total)PCDD/PCDF (dioxins/furans)Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI)PyreneDibenzo(a,h)anthraceneSilver (total)1,2-DichlorobenzeneLead (total)1,3-DichlorobenzeneQuinoline1,4-DichlorobenzeneSelenium (total)TinStyreneThallium (total)EthylbenzeneThiophenePhenanthreneTolueneTotal fluorideVanadiumHexachlorobenzeneTotal xylenesHCH (lindane isomers)Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyreneMercury (total)FluorantheneAnthraceneAcenaphthyleneAcenaphtheneFluoreneBenzo(g,h,i)perylene
Agricultural soil analysis — physicochemical characterisation for crop management
Complete agronomic soil characterisation for fertilisation planning and land management
Beyond contamination analysis — Biogroup provides the full physicochemical profile needed for agronomic decisions: from nutrient availability and pH for fertilisation planning to salinity and sodicity indices for irrigation management in arid zones.
🌱 Physical parameters
• Texture (% clay, silt, sand) — Bouyoucos
• pH (water and CaCl₂)
• Field moisture capacity
• Permanent wilting point
• Bulk density
• Available water capacity
🧪 Organic matter & carbon
• Organic matter (Walkley-Black)
• Total organic carbon (TOC)
• Total nitrogen (Kjeldahl)
• C:N ratio
• Active limestone (Drouineau-Galet)
• Total limestone (calcimetry)
💧 Salinity & sodicity
• Electrical conductivity (ECe)
• Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR index)
• Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (PSI/ESP)
• Chlorides · Sulphates
• Carbonates · Bicarbonates
• Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
🌿 Macro-nutrients
• Available phosphorus (Bray-Kurtz or Olsen)
• Exchangeable potassium
• Exchangeable calcium
• Exchangeable magnesium
• Total nitrogen
• Nitrates (NO₃⁻)
🔬 Micro-nutrients
• Boron (hot water extractable)
• Iron (DTPA extractable)
• Manganese (DTPA extractable)
• Zinc (DTPA extractable)
• Copper (DTPA extractable)
• Molybdenum
🌱 Agronomic indices
• SAR irrigation water index
• ESP/PSI (exchangeable sodium %)
• Buffer capacity index
• Lime requirement
• USDA soil classification
• Fertilisation recommendations
Regulatory framework — Argentine and international soil quality standards
🇦🇷 Argentine regulations
• Ley 24.051 · Hazardous Waste Law
• Decree 831/93 · Annex II, Table 9 — soil quality guidelines
• Ley 25.675 · General Environmental Law
• Ley 25.612 · Industrial waste
• SAyDS Resolution 97/2019 · Contaminated sites
• Provincial regulations — Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, Córdoba
🌐 International standards & methods
• EPA SW-846 · Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste
• EPA RSLs · Regional Screening Levels (Table)
• ASTM · Standard methods for soil analysis
• ISO 11466/14870 · Soil extraction methods
• IRAM standards · Argentine national methods
• Dutch intervention values · RIVM reference values
Analytical methods — validated procedures
Reference method organisations applied at Biogroup
EPA / SW-846
US Environmental Protection Agency
Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste — the global standard for contaminated soil analysis
ASTM
Amer. Society for Testing & Materials
Standard test methods for soil — D1613, D4278, D5759 and related methods
IRAM
Inst. Argentino de Normalización
Argentine national standardisation methods for soil physical and chemical analysis
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
ISO 11466, 14869, 14870 — soil digestion and extraction methods
SW-846 TxN
Texas Methods TX-1005/1006
Fractionated TPH methods — aliphatic/aromatic chain opening
Applications — when soil analysis is required
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Petrol stations & fuel spills
BTEX · MTBE · TPH fractions — the most frequent contaminated site typology in Argentina. Regulatory characterisation and monitoring required for closure.
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Industrial sites & due diligence
Phase II characterisation for property transactions and plant closures. Full Table 9 suite for comparison against regulatory thresholds.
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Remediation progress monitoring
Periodic sampling during landfarming, biopiles or ISCO to demonstrate contaminant reduction toward cleanup goals.
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Landfills & waste disposal sites
Leachate migration monitoring · TCLP extraction · groundwater protection assessment.
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Agricultural quality surveys
Nutrient management planning · salinity assessment for irrigation · soil health monitoring for precision agriculture.
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Legal proceedings & expert witness
Soil analysis reports with regulatory comparison tables — accepted by Argentine courts and expert witness proceedings.
Related services
TPH · BTEX · PAHs · Metals · PCBs · Ley 24.051 Table 9 · EPA SW-846
Need soil contamination analysis?
From a single TPH determination to the complete Table 9 suite for a Phase II environmental site assessment — Biogroup delivers results compared against Argentine and international regulatory screening values.
Request soil analysis →
📞 +54 341 425-6431 📞 +54 341 447-4486 ✉ biogroup@biogroup.com.ar 📍 3 de febrero 920 · Rosario, Argentina Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00