"This publication describes the procedures used in the Water Quality Division laboratories to determine the phosphorus concentration of detergents. A manual method published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), modified to overcome the interference from borates, is used to analyze samples that have a phosphorus concentration close to the 20% P205 maximum specified in the Phosphorus Concentration Control Regulations. An automated method has been developed, using "Technicon AutoAnalyzer" equipment, that enables detergent samples to be screened for phosphorus content at a rate of 20 samples per hour"--Summary.

"This report describes a method for determining the mercury content in water with mercury concentrations as low as 0.05 ug/l. The method has been applied to water samples containing both inorganic-and organo-mercury compounds. It involves the oxidation of organo-mercury compounds by ultraviolet irradiation followed by the reduction of the mercury to the elemental state"--Summary.

"This report was prepared to provide the general public with technical information on detergents and the effects of phosphates on the water environment. It answers some of the more commonly-asked questions regarding phosphate-based detergents -- what they are, what they contain, how they work and how they affect the quality of our water resources. The property of biodegradability as it applies to detergents is explained"--Foreword.