Bulk measure of petroleum-derived organic compounds in soil or water. Canadian regulators report TPH by fraction: F1 (C6-C10), F2 (C10-C16), F3 (C16-C34), and F4 (C34-C50+). U.S. methods report by carbon range as TPH-GRO, TPH-DRO, and TPH-ORO.
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons is the workhorse bulk metric for petroleum contamination. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Reference Method for the Canada-Wide Standard for Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Soil reports TPH in four fractions (F1 through F4) by GC-FID, with separate cleanup standards by fraction and land use.
TPH is not a single chemical and not a direct measure of risk: it is a fingerprint of the bulk hydrocarbon load. Risk-based assessment couples TPH with BTEX, PAHs, and fraction-specific toxicity surrogates. TPH measurement drives remediation design, performance monitoring, and closure decisions at the great majority of fuel and lubricant sites.
Also known as: TPH, total petroleum hydrocarbons, F1 F2 F3 F4.
Petroleum Hydrocarbons: treatment approach
The full spectrum of petroleum-derived organic compounds — crude oil, condensate, diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and bunker fuel — reported analytically as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in gasoline-range (C6–C10), diesel-range (C10–C28), and heavy-range (C28–C40) fractions.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: a class of more than 12,000 synthetic compounds built around exceptionally stable carbon-fluorine bonds. PFAS is the family name, not a single chemical. PFOA and PFOS are two specific members of this class.
Perfluorooctanoic acid: a specific eight-carbon long-chain PFAS compound, historically used in non-stick coatings and AFFF firefighting foam. Classified by IARC in 2023 as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans.
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid: a specific eight-carbon long-chain PFAS compound, historically the active surfactant in 3M Scotchgard and AFFF firefighting foam. Classified by IARC in 2023 as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and related furans: highly persistent, fat-soluble chlorinated compounds formed as unintended byproducts of combustion, chlorine-based manufacturing, and herbicide production, with TCDD among the most toxic substances ever characterized.