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- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
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- Promoting innovation precincts
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Northern Australia
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- Regulations and standards
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Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
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- Assurance and Audit Committee
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- Continuing Order of the Senate
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Air samples
We recommend the following preservation procedures, holding times and conditions when submitting air samples for testing by the National Measurement Institute (NMI). Please treat these recommendations as a guide only.
Test | Container | Preservation procedure (treatment after collection until arrival at NMI) | Holding time (maximum time from collection until analysis) | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) | canister | nil | 30 days | US EPA TO15 |
VOC | tube | cool to <4 °C | 30 days | US EPA TO17 |
VOC | tube, passive sampler | cool to <4° C | 14 days | US EPA 8260 |
Sulphur compounds | canister | nil | 72 hours | NMI method |
Metals | impinger solutions, filters | cool to ≤6 °C | 30 days | US EPA M29, US EPA MIO-3.1 |
Metals (general including CrVI) | filters/sorbents | cool to ≤6 °C | 30 days (14 days for CrVI) | US EPA 3060A |
Sulphate (H2SO4/SO3/SO2) | impinger solutions, filters | nil | not available | APHA 4110B, US EPA M8 |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) | XAD resin, filter, rinse | cool to 4 °C, dark | 7 days | CARB429 |
Nitrate (NOx) | impinger solution, filter | nil | 4 days | APHA 4110B, US EPA M7A |
Fluoride (HF/F2), chloride (HCl/Cl2), bromide (HBr/Br2) | impinger solution, filter | nil | not available | APHA 4110B, US EPA 26 |
Formaldehyde | silica gel tube | cool to <4 °C | 14 days | US EPA TO11 |
Dioxins (PCDD/PCDF) | XAD resin, filter, rinse | cool to <4 °C | 30 days | US EPA M23, US EPA 1613 |
Dioxins (PCDD/PCDF) | PUF tube, filters | cool to <4 °C | 30 days | US EPA TO-9A, US EPA 1613 |
Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) | XAD resin, filter, rinse | cool to <4 °C | 30 days | US EPA M23, US EPA 1668 |
Dioxin-like PCB | PUF tube, filters | cool to <4 °C | 30 days | US EPA TO-9A, US EPA 1613 |
Chlorobenzenes, chlorophenols | XAD resin, filter, rinse | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA 8270 |
Semi-volatile organics | XAD tube | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA 8270 |
Ammonia | impinger solutions | nil | not available | APHA 4500-NH3G |
Hydrocarbons | canister | ambient | 30 days | MassDEP APH |
OCP/OPP/PCB | PUF tube | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA 8081, US EPA 8141 |
PAH | XAD Tube | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA 8270 |
PAH | PUF tube, filters | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA TO-13A |
Particulate matter (gravimetric analysis) | dust filter | nil | not available | AS 3580.9.10, AS 3640, US EPA M5 |
PCB | XAD or PUF tube | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | US EPA 8081 |
Permanent gases | canisters | ambient | 30 days | ASTM D1946 |
References
- ASTM D1946 Standard Practice for Analysis of Reformed Gas by Gas Chromatography
- APHA Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 22nd edition, American Public Health Association
- CARB429 Method 429 - Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emissions from Stationary Sources, California Air Resources Board
- MassDep APH Method for the Determination of Air-phase Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- US EPA MIO-3.1 Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Inorganic Compounds in Ambient Air, Method IO-3.1 Selection, Preparation and Extraction of Filter Material
- Other US EPA Test Method Collections
Read more
See how to preserve other sample types when submitting your environmental samples to NMI
See our full range of environmental testing and analysis services.
Contact us
- Email customerservice@measurement.gov.au
- Phone 1300 722 845

- National Measurement Institute
Last updated: 8 December 2020
Content ID: 64627