"Characterizing petroleum as it is found in the environment as Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) can take on a variety of meanings depending on the method used and how the TPH result is derived. Petroleum hydrocarbons comprise a vast array of chemical constituents and encompass several compounds classes, volatility ranges, and risk levels; many of which require specific detection and quantification techniques. Matching that complexity is the numerous ways in which TPH might be expressed, carrying designations such as: GRO, DRO, EPH, HEM, EPH, and/or VPH.

With a wide variety of analytical options available, covering the numerous classifications, it falls to the end user to determine which flavor is right for their particular project and which analytical solution will work best.

In this presentation we attempt to shift through the array of acronyms, methodologies, and TPH categories to provide the end users with a clearer definition of what TPH is, how it is defined, how it is measured and quantified, and provide insight into the complexities of characterizing petroleum releases as they relate to the environmental sample analysis."