B.C. Environmental Laboratory Manual

In cooperation with the B.C. Environmental Laboratory Technical Advisory Committee, the Ministry of Environment has produced the 2020 edition of the British Columbia Environmental Laboratory Manual (BCELM). New or updated methods included in the 2020 edition are listed below.

The manual is available as a PDF in nine sections for ease of access:

• Title Section (PDF)
• Section A: Laboratory Quality Assurance / Quality Control (PDF)
• Section B: Physical, Inorganic and Miscellaneous Constituents (PDF)
• Section C: Metals (PDF)
• Section D: Organic Constituents and Compounds (PDF)
• Section E: Microbiological Examination (PDF)
• Section F: Toxicity Test Methods (PDF)
• Section G: Air Constituents – Inorganic (PDF)
• Section H: Air and Vapour Constituents – Organic (PDF)

New or Updated Methods included in the 2020 Edition

• Section A
  BC ENV Sample Preservation & Holding Time Requirements
• Section B
  Asbestos in Soil - PBM
  Asbestos in Water by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
  Cyanide Analysis (Total, WAD, Free)
  Cyanide by Manual Distillation
  Liquid-Solid Partitioning (Leachability) as a Function of pH (Metals, Inorganics, and SVOCs)
  Liquid-Solid Partitioning (Leachability) of VOCs
  Liquid-Solid Partitioning (Leachability) as a Function of pH
• Section C
  Digestion for Total Metals in Water – Prescriptive
  Methylmercury in Soil or Sediment
  Methylmercury in Water
  Strong Acid Leachable Metals (SALM) in Soil
  Trace Metals Analysis by ICP-MS
  Dissolved Metals or Mercury in Water Method
• Section D
  1.17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) in Water by LC/MS/MS
  Alcohols in Soil and Water
  Chlorinated and Non-Chlorinated Phenols in Soil
  Diisopropanolamine (DIPA in Water and Soil Samples by HPLC – PDM
  Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH) in Solids by GC/FID
  Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH) in Water by GC/FID
  Glycols in Soil and Water
  Nonylphenols and Ethoxylates in Soil by LC/MS/MS
  Nonylphenols and Ethoxylates in Water by LC/MS/MS
  PAH Soil by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
  PAH Water by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
  Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Soils by LC/MS/MS – PBM
  Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water by LC/MS/MS – PBM
  Phenols Chlorinated & Non-Chlorinated Water
  Sulfolane in Water and Soil Samples - PBM
  Total Extractable Hydrocarbons (C10-C30) in Water
  Volatile Hydrocarbons (VH) in Waters by GC/FID – PBM
  Volatile Organic Compounds in Soil
  Volatile Organic Compounds Water
  Total Extractable Hydrocarbons (C10-C30) in Water
• Section E ​
  Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) in Water
  MTF for Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria in Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish
  Thermotolerant Coliforms in Water by Multiple-Tube Fermentation
  Total Coliforms and E. coli in Water by MF and Chromocult Coliform Agar (CCA)
  Total Coliforms in Water by Membrane Filtration and mEndo Media
  Total Coliforms in Water by Multiple-Tube Fermentation
  Total Coliforms Thermotolerant (Fecal) Coliforms and e. Coli by Colilert in Water
• Section F ​
  Entire Section F Toxicity Test Methods updated

Methods Posted for Review

The following methods are posted for a minimum of 30 days. Stakeholders and members of the public are encouraged to review these methods and provide any feedback or concerns to the Senior Laboratory Specialist. Contact information is provided in the panel on the right.

1. Solids, Total Suspended (TSS) – PBM (PDF)
2. Semi-Volatile Organics by GCMS for TCLP Leachates – PBM (PDF)
3. Resin and Fatty Acids in Water – PBM (PDF)
4. Determination of Sodium and Chloride Pore Water Concentrations of Peat/Muskeg – Prescriptive (PDF)

Methods Awaiting Director’s Approval

The following methods have undergone a public review process. The methods may have been modified to reflect information produced during the review period but still require director’s approval to publish.

1. Enterococci in Water by MF or Enzyme Substrate Method – Prescriptive (PDF)
2. Salmonella in Solids by MTF – Prescriptive (PDF)
3. Silica Gel Cleanup of Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons – Prescriptive (PDF)
4. Tetraethyl Lead in Water – PBM (PDF)
5. Tetraethyllead in Soil – PBM (PDF)
6. Total Organic Halides – Prescriptive (PDF)
7. Phosphorus, Total and Total Dissolved - PBM (PDF)

Methods Approved by Director

The following methods have undergone a public review process and have been approved by a Director for publication. The date of publication has yet to be determined however it is important to recognize that these methods supersede those that are currently published in the BCELM. 

• No new methods approved by the Director at this time.