total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)

a measure of the concentration or mass of petroleum hydrocarbon constituents present in a given amount of air, soil, or water. The term total is a misnomer, in that few, if any, of the procedures for quantifying hydrocarbons are capable of measuring all fractions of petroleum hydrocarbons present in the sample. Volatile hydrocarbons are usually lost in the process and not quantified. Additionally, some non-petroleum hydrocarbons may be included in the analysis.