Internship Report: Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds at APPL Inc.

This report details an internship experience at APPL Inc., a DoD and NELAP accredited laboratory providing analytical chemistry services. The report provides an overview of APPL Inc.'s operations, including its various departments such as Gas Chromatography, Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds, Organic Extractions, Sample Preparations, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, High Resolution Mass Spectrophotometry, Volatile Organic Compounds, Inorganic/General Chemistries, and Metals. The internship focused on the Volatile Organic Analysis (VOA) department, where the intern worked under the supervision of a senior employee, performing duties such as preparing standards, loading instruments, preparing soil and water samples, and processing data. The report describes the methods used, including EPA 8260 and 524, along with quality control measures like internal standards and tuning. The report concludes with the intern's reflections on the experience, highlighting the opportunity to learn various laboratory software and techniques used in sample preparation, analysis, and data reporting. Acknowledgements are given to key individuals who supported the intern during the experience.

PRIYANKA CHAUDHARI
AGRICULTURE & PRIORITY
POLLUTANTS LABORATORIES, INC.
908 N Temperance Ave.
Clovis, CA 93611
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.applinc.com

Introduction
• APPL, Inc has been operational for the last 30 years as a DoD
and NELAP accredited laboratory.
• Offers analytical chemistry services to various departments
such as:
– Defense
– Municipal Authorities
– Department of Energy
– Private Clients
• Adequately staffed to handle large projects
• Took part in the EPA OSW Perchlorate Task Force 2007 for SW-
846 method analysis of Perchlorate where it ran studies in
furthering the development of EPA method 6850.
• Also assisted in authoring parts of the up to date techniques

Introduction cont’d
• APPL, Inc. conducted an examination of the samples and the
outcomes used in the USACE ERDC Incremental Sampling
Methodology for Metallic Residues
• The company has a membership with California Public Utilities
Commission as a WBE
• Assented to by California Certification Program as a
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

Laboratory Departments
• There are more than 300 methods in APPL, Inc. SOPs.
Gas Chromatography (GC)
• This department is supplied with Agilent gas chromatographs
• Every instrument is composed of dual detectors and dual
channels
• Among the evaluations conducted in this department include:
– organophosphorus and triazine pesticides (EPA methods 8141, 619,
507)
– organochlorine pesticides (EPA methods 8081, 608, 508)
– chlorinated herbicides (EPA methods 8151, 515, 615)
– polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) including
• congeners (EPA methods 8082, 608, 508)
• fumigants (EDB/DBCP) (EPA methods 8011, 504.1)
• extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH-Diesel, motor oil) (EPA method 8015)

Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (GC-MS)
Most clients request Semi-Volatiles by EPA 8270, 625, and 525.2
Also scrutinizes numerous samples for polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) using selective ion monitoring (SIM)
technology (Navrátil, 2016)
Organic Extractions
Conducts EPA among other techniques for extraction of organic
components from client’s samples
Works hand in hand with the GC, GC-MS, and HPLC department
supervisors to ascertain all samples are timely extracted.
Sample Preparations
Furnished with a Puck Mill Grinder for EPA method 8330B
sample preparation to carry out slightly additional sampling as
per USACE specifications.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Scrutiny include perchlorate by EPA method 6850, nitramines and
nitroaromatics by EPA Method 8330B, carbamate pesticides by EPA
Method 8321A
High Resolution Mass Spectrophotometry (HRMS)
• Scrutiny PCB congeners by EPA method 1668, and dioxins-furans by EPA
Method 8290
Volatile Organic Compounds
• Furnishes with five gas chromatographs, three having mass
spectrometers
• Scrutiny include
– EPA methods 8260, 524.2, and 624 for halogenated volatiles
– aromatic volatiles
– Trihalomethanes
– gas oxygenates (including MtBE);
– EPA 8015 for gasoline range purgeable petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH-Gas)
– dissolved gases (methane, ethane, ethene) by RSK 175.

Inorganic/General Chemistries
Scrutinizes portions for physical and chemical features among
them total kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate, sulfate, chloride, total
organic carbon, MBAS, pH, content of moisture, levels of
alkalinity, amount of dissolved solids, cyanide, ammonia,
fluoride,, oil & grease, hexavalent chromium and nitrite.
Metals
Furnished with ICP-OES, ICP-MS, & CVAA instruments
Has the ability to conduct protocols for leaching including TCLP,
SPLP, and STLC

Data Review and Reporting
• Offering data that is valid in scientific perspective, defensible
in legal terms and most accurate to clients is the primary goal
APP, Inc.
• Steps followed include:
– Primary Analyst
– Peer Review
– Section Manager
– Project Manager or Laboratory Director
– Quality Assurance Unit Director

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
• Enables for high sample throughput and enables reporting
formats that are customizable to attain the specific
expectations of the client.
• Also conducts numerous quality control regulation so that the
final report attains project specific data quality objectives
– Sample Tracking
– Data Input
– Data Output

Personnel
• Employees in the company are extensively learned with a vast
range of technical background.
• The positions as such as:
– President / Technical Director (Ms. Diane Anderson-the
founder of APPL, Inc. in 1982, Bachelor’s degree in
Chemistry from California State University Fresno
– Laboratory Director (Ms. Paula McCartney)-Has a B.A.
Degree in Chemistry from West Virginia University,
Morgantown WV and became part of APPL in 1991
– QAU Director (Ms. Sharon Dehmlow)-Has a B.S. degree in
Chemistry and a lecturing credential in Chemistry and
Earth Sciences from California State University, Fresno,
joined APPL Inc in 1988

Personnel cont’d…
• IT Manager (Mr. Jeremy Hale)-Has a Bachelor’s degree in
Electrical Engineering and Minors Degree in Computer Science
and Mathematics from California State University, Fresno and
became part of APPL, Inc. in 1999
• Project Managers- in charge of one on one communication with
the clients, ensures their project needs are attained, and making
the lab for every sample delivery group
Section Managers- They are about 6 of them.
– Responsible for keeping the analysts efficient and accurate
• Analysts- They are about 20 of them
– Responsibilities are marking the instruments, organizing
sample injections, explaining raw data, generating reports,
and checking the quality criteria of sample and project quality

My experience at APPL Inc:
• I began my internship on 10/11/2016 where I first read many
documents and signed them followed by a tour of the
company which involved being taken to different sections of
the company an d briefed about work done in each section
• Was placed for training and internship in the Volatile organic
analysis department
• Worked under supervision of Ms. Dipti Gokal, the Senior
employee of this department in metals departments initially
for the 1st two weeks