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Collection Methods
Ground-water sample collection is designed to accomodate improvements in analysis techniques, resulting in data approaching the "parts per trillion" level. Before water samples are taken from a well, at least three well volumes of water are removed. Purging of the well allows water-quality paramters such as pH, specific conductance, temperature and dissolved oxygen to stabilize, ensuring a representative water sample from the formation immediately surrounding the well screen. Collection is then initiated through a low-discharge, positive-displacement, submersible pump made of Teflon and stainless steel. Water is pumped from a well, through Teflon hose to a protected sampling chamber inside a specially outfitted sampling vehicle. An anti-back-siphon valve is used to prevent back-flow into the well.

The order in which samples are taken depends on the analyte being collected: organic analytes (unfiltered, then filtered) are followed by inorganic analytes (filtered, then unfiltered). Samples are filtered for inorganics, nutrients, pesticides and dissolved organic carbon. Unfiltered samples include volatile organic compounds, stable isotopes,tritium and radon. Quality assurance and quality control also require the periodic collection of replicate samples, including field blanks and spikes.


Personnel to contact about a specific subject are listed on the staff page.
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
221 North Broadway, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
URL: http://il.water.usgs.gov/proj/lirb/gw/collect_method/index.html
Maintainer: djfazio@usgs.gov
Last modified: 11:13 CST Thurs 11 May 2000