ISO 17993:2002 specifies a method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection for the determination of 15 selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) [naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, fluorene, anthracene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, benzo(ghi)perylene] in drinking and ground water in mass concentrations greater than 0,005 microgram/litre (for each single compound) and surface waters in mass concentrations above 0,01 microgram/litre.

This method is, with some modification, also suitable for the analysis of waste water. This method may be applicable to other PAH, provided the method is validated for each case.