Guidance

Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) blue books

Methods for the examination of waters and associated materials.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
5 June 2014
Last updated
2 October 2014 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on

The Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) now sits outside of the Environment Agency and of government. See the SCA website for authoritative information on methods of sampling and analysis.

Documents

The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2012) - Part 7 - Methods for the enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria

Ref: Blue Book 238

PDF, 918 KB, 29 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2012) - Part 5 - Methods for the Isolation and enumeration of enterococci

Ref: Blue Book 237

PDF, 947 KB, 31 pages

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Index of Methods for the Examination of Waters and Associated Materials 1976 - 2011

Ref: Blue Book 236

PDF, 982 KB, 106 pages

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The determination of cyanide and thiocyanate in soils and similar matrices (2011)

Ref: Blue Book 235

PDF, 803 KB, 60 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2010) - Part 14 - Methods for the isolation, identification and enumeration of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts

Ref: Blue Book 234

PDF, 1.88 MB, 132 pages

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The determination of taste and odour in drinking waters (2010)

Ref: Blue Book 233

PDF, 1.69 MB, 42 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2010) - Part 2 - Practices and procedures for sampling

Ref: Blue Book 232

PDF, 1.29 MB, 36 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2010) - Part 8 - The isolation and enumeration of Aeromonas and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by membrane filtration

Ref: Blue Book 231

PDF, 984 KB, 40 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2010) - Part 6 - Methods for the isolation and enumeration of sulphite-reducing clostridia and Clostridium perfringens by membrane filtration

Ref: Blue Book 230

PDF, 1.12 MB, 32 pages

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The determination of easily liberated sulphide in soils and similar matrices (2010)

Ref: Blue Book 228

PDF, 755 KB, 48 pages

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The determination of acrylamide in waters using chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (2009)

Ref: Blue Book 227

PDF, 545 KB, 16 pages

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The determination of metaldehyde in waters using chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (2009)

Ref: Blue Book 226

PDF, 945 KB, 52 pages

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The direct toxicity assessment of aqueous environmental samples using the Skeletonema costatum marine algal growth inhibition test (2009)

Ref: Blue Book 225

PDF, 716 KB, 32 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2009) - Part 4 - Methods for the isolation and enumeration of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (including E. coli O157:H7)

Ref: Blue Book 223

PDF, 1.46 MB, 104 pages

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The determination of steroid oestrogens in waters using chromatography and mass spectrometry (2008)

Ref: Blue Book 220

PDF, 904 KB, 58 pages

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The direct toxicity assessment of aqueous environmental samples using the Skeletonema costatum marine algal growth inhibition test (2009) growth inhibition test (2008)

Ref: Blue Book 219

PDF, 702 KB, 32 pages

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Chemical disinfecting agents in waters and effluents (2008)

Ref: Blue Book 218

PDF, 855 KB, 70 pages

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An inter-laboratory trial on chemical oxygen demand determinations (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 216

PDF, 2.14 MB, 52 pages

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The determination of chemical oxygen demand in waters and effluents (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 215

PDF, 2.16 MB, 66 pages

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The determination of cyanide in waters and associated materials (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 214

PDF, 777 KB, 44 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2007) - Part 13 - The isolation and enumeration of aerobic spore-forming bacteria by membrane filtration

Ref: Blue Book 211

PDF, 642 KB, 14 pages

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The direct toxicity assessment of aqueous environmental samples using the marine copepod Tisbe battagliai lethality test (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 210

PDF, 1020 KB, 34 pages

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The direct toxicity assessment of aqueous environmental samples using the oyster (Crassostrea gigas) embryo-larval development test (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 209

PDF, 1.85 MB, 36 pages

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The direct toxicity assessment of aqueous environmental samples using the juvenile Daphnia magna immobilisation test (2007)

Ref: Blue Book 208

PDF, 1.14 MB, 36 pages

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Determination of the inhibitory effect of chemicals, industrial and other waste waters on nitrification by Nitrosomonas bacteria (2006)

Ref: Blue Book 207

PDF, 670 KB, 24 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2006) - Part 9 - Methods for the isolation and enumeration of Salmonella and Shigella by selective enrichment, membrane filtration and multiple tube-most probable number techniques

Ref: Blue Book 206

PDF, 865 KB, 38 pages

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The determination of metals in solid environmental samples (2006)

Ref: Blue Book 204

PDF, 1.53 MB, 100 pages

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The preparation and pre-treatment of potentially contaminated soils prior to chemical analysis (2006)

Ref: Blue Book 201

PDF, 553 KB, 22 pages

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The determination of Legionella bacteria in waters and other environmental samples (2005) - Part 1 - Rationale of surveying and sampling

Ref: Blue Book 200

PDF, 749 KB, 42 pages

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The assessment of aerobic biodegradability by measurement of dissolved and/or gaseous inorganic carbon in sealed vessels (2005)

Ref: Blue Book 199

PDF, 680 KB, 26 pages

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Guidance on the measurement of tritium in environmental samples (2005)

Ref: Blue Book 198

PDF, 713 KB, 20 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2004) - Part 12 - Methods for the isolation and enumeration of micro-organisms associated with taste, odour and related aesthetic problems

Ref: Blue Book 197

PDF, 1.05 MB, 34 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2004) - Part 11 - Taste, odour and related aesthetic problems

Ref: Blue Book 196

PDF, 791 KB, 20 pages

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The Microbiology of Sewage Sludge (2004) - Part 4 - Methods for the detection, isolation and enumeration of Salmonellae

Ref: Blue Book 195

PDF, 1.02 MB, 40 pages

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A guide to practices, procedures and methodologies following oil spill contamination incidents (2004)

Ref: Blue Book 193

PDF, 4.77 MB, 108 pages

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The Microbiology of Sewage Sludge (2003) - Part 3 - Methods for the isolation and enumeration of Escherichia coli, including verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Ref: Blue Book 190

PDF, 901 KB, 44 pages

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The Microbiology of Sewage Sludge (2003) - Part 2 - Practices and procedures for sampling and sample preparation

Ref: Blue Book 189

PDF, 687 KB, 24 pages

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The Microbiology of Sewage Sludge (2003) - Part 1 - An overview of the treatment and use in agriculture of sewage sludge in relation to its impact on the environment and public health

Ref: Blue Book 188

PDF, 727 KB, 30 pages

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The determination of polychlorinated biphenyls by gas chromatography using mass spectrometric detection (2003)

Ref: Blue Book 187

PDF, 1.13 MB, 48 pages

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The determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil by dichloromethane extraction using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (2003)

Ref: Blue Book 186

PDF, 742 KB, 26 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2002) - Part 10 - Methods for the isolation of Yersinia, Vibrio and Campylobacter by selective enrichment

Ref: Blue Book 185

PDF, 603 KB, 32 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2002) - Part 3 - Practices and procedures for laboratories

Ref: Blue Book 178

PDF, 826 KB, 70 pages

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The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2002) - Part 1 - Water Quality and Public Health

Ref: Blue Book 176

PDF, 684 KB, 50 pages

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The Microbiology of Recreational and Environmental Waters (2000)

Ref: Blue Book 175

PDF, 809 KB, 45 pages

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The determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in waters and complex matrices (2000)

Ref: Blue Book 174

PDF, 1.19 MB, 34 pages

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The determination of tritium (tritiated water) activity concentration by alkaline distillation and liquid scintillation counting (1999)

Ref: Blue Book 173

PDF, 486 KB, 5 pages

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The assessment of taste, odour and related aesthetic problems in drinking waters 1998

Ref: Blue Book 171

PDF, 725 KB, 22 pages

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Details

The Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) provides guidance on recommended methods of sampling and analysis of waters and effluents, sewage sludges, sediments, soils (including contaminated land) and biota. These are known as ‘blue books’.

The Environment Agency sponsors and provides support to SCA. For any questions about SCA please contact mark.gale@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Updates to this page

Published 5 June 2014
Last updated 2 October 2014 + show all updates

  1. Removed link to Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) feedback survey which has now closed.

  2. Added link to Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) feedback survey.

  3. First published.

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