During sampling, do not to rinse out or spill preservatives:
- dissolved metals (such as groundwaters) samples should be 0.45 μm filtered into a HNO3 preserved bottle. If you have not field filtered and acidified samples, we will filter any unpreserved sample container then acidify when we receive them.
- total recoverable metals (such as surface waters) samples should be placed unfiltered into a HNO3 preserved bottle. If you have not field preserved samples, we will sub-sample from the unpreserved bottle on receipt and acidify with HNO3)
In the sample size column below, * indicates that larger volumes are required for lower limiting of reporting analyses.
Test | Container | Sample size (low levels of organics require 1 L or 2 L) | Preservation procedure (treatment after collection until arrival at NMI) | Holding time (maximum time from collection until analysis) | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alkalinity/acidity | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 14 days | APHA |
BOD | plastic | 500 mL | cool to <4 °C | 2 days | APHA |
Bromide | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C, dark | 28 days | APHA |
Carbon – TOC | glass | 40 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4 ), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Carbon – Dissolved Organic Carbon | glass | 40 mL | filter onsite, pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Chlorophyll-a | plastic | 1000 mL | cool to <4 °C, dark | 2 days | APHA |
plastic | 1000 mL | filter, freeze residue | 28 days | APHA | |
Chlorine | plastic | 50 mL | nil, field test only | 30 min | APHA |
Chlorine (for sealed bottled water) | plastic | 50 mL | sealed bottled water only | 30 min after opening | APHA |
Chloride | plastic | 50 mL | nil | 28 days | APHA |
Chromium hexavalent | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 1 day | APHA |
plastic | 50 mL | pH >12 (NaOH), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | US EPA 1669 | |
COD | plastic | 50 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Colour | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C, dark | 2 days | APHA |
Conductivity | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Cyanides† | plastic | 200 mL | pH >12 (NaOH), cool to <4 °C, dark | 14 days | APHA |
Dioxins† | amber glass | 2 x 1000 mL | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL) | 1 year until (1 after) extraction | US EPA 1613 |
Ferrous iron | glass | 40 mL | pH <2 (HCl), no headspace | 3 days | NMI 2010 |
Fluoride | plastic | 50 mL | none required | 28 days | APHA |
Haloacetic acids | vial | 2 x 40 mL | 4 mg NH4Cl per vial, zero headspace and cool to <4 °C | 14 days | US EPA 552.3 |
Hardness | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C or pH <2 (HNO3) | 7 days or 6 months | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 and APHA |
Herbicides (includes glyphosate) | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Iodide | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 28 days | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 |
MBAS | glass | 200 mL | cool to <4 °C | 2 days | APHA |
Mercury | plastic | 100 mL | pH <2 (HNO3) | 28 days | APHA |
glass | 100 mL | pH <2 (HNO3), 0.05% potassium dichromate | 1 month | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 | |
Metals – total | plastic | 100 mL | pH <2 (HNO3) | 6 months | APHA |
Metals – filtered | plastic | 100 mL | filter onsite, pH <2 (HNO3) | 6 months | APHA |
Microbiology (in natural) | plastic (sterile) | 200 mL | cool to <4 °C | 1 day | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 |
Microbiology (in tap, i.e. chlorinated) | plastic (sterile) | 200 mL | cool to <4 °C, Na2S2O3 | 1 day | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 |
N (ammonia) | plastic | 50 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
N (nitrate) | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 2 days | APHA |
N (nitrate) | plastic | 50 mL | filter on site, freeze | 28 days | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 |
N (nitrite) | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 2 days | APHA |
N (TKN) | plastic | 50 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
N (total) | plastic | 50 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Oil and grease | glass | 1000 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Organochlorine pesticides | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Organophosphorus pesticides | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Organotins (tributyl tin – TBT) | glass | 1000 mL | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
PAHs† | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL before adding acid) | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
PBDEs† | amber glass | 2 x 1000 mL | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL) | 1 year until (1 after) extraction | US EPA 1614 |
PCBs† (dioxin-like) | amber glass | 2 x 1000 mL | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL) | 1 year until (1 after) extraction | US EPA 1668 |
PCBs† | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL before adding acid) | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
PFAS† (including PFOS and PFOA) | HDPE | 2 x 60 mL | cool to <4 °C | 14 days until (28 after) extraction | US EPA 537 ISO 5667-3 |
pH | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 3 days | NMI 2010 |
Phenols (speciated) | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Phenols (total) | plastic or glass | 100 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4), cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Phenoxy acid herbicides | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Phosphorus – total | plastic | 100 mL | pH <2 (HNO3) | 28 days | APHA |
Phosphate | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 2 days | APHA |
Phosphate | plastic | 50 mL | filter onsite, freeze | 28 days | AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 |
Phthalates | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Sulphate | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
Sulphide (dissolved) | plastic | 100 mL | filter, add 10 mL Cu 2,4 DMP (per 100 mL sample), cool to <4 °C | 7 days | AS 3550.1 |
Sulphide (total) | plastic | 100 mL | cool, add 0.5 mL 2N zinc acetate and 1 mL 6N NaOH (per 100 mL sample), cool to <4 °C | 7 days | APHA |
SVOCs (includes ethers, amines, nitroaromatics, nitrosamines) | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL) | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
TDS | plastic | 50 mL | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | APHA |
Thiocyanate | plastic | 100 mL | add HNO3 or H2SO4 to pH<2, cool to <4 °C | 28 days | APHA |
TRH (C6–C10)/BTEX | vial | 2 x 40 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4 or HCl), cool to <4 °C, zero headspace (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na 2S2O3 per 1000 mL of sample before adding acid — use NaHSO4 if dangerous goods restrictions apply) | 14 days | US EPA SW-846 |
TRH (C10–C40) | glass | 200 mL* | cool to <4 °C (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na2S2O3 per 1000 mL before adding acid) | 7 days until (40 after) extraction | US EPA SW-846 |
Trihalomethanes | vial | 2 x 40 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4 or HCl), cool to <4 °C, zero headspace (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na 2S2O3 per 1000 mL before adding acid) | 14 days | US EPA SW-846 |
TSS | plastic | 500 mL | cool to <4 °C | 7 days | APHA |
Turbidity | plastic | 100 mL | cool to <4 °C, store in dark | 2 days | APHA |
VOCs (includes C1–C5, halogenated aliphatics, halogenated aromatics, monocyclic aromatics and alcohols) | vial | 2 x 40 mL | pH <2 (H2SO4 or HCl), cool to <4 °C, zero headspace (if residual chlorine is present add 80 mg Na 2S2O3 per 1000 mL of sample before adding acid — use NaHSO4 if dangerous goods restrictions apply) | 14 days | US EPA SW-846 |
References
- AS 3550.1:1988 Methods for the Analysis of Waters - Determination of Dissolved Sulphide - Spectrophotometric Method
- AS/NZS 5667.1:1998 Water Quality - Sampling - Guidance on the Design of Sampling Programs, Sampling Techniques and the Preservation and Handling of Samples
- APHA Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 22nd edition, American Public Health Association
- US EPA SW-846 Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods
- Other US EPA Test Method Collections