If you are out on a field trip (for a couple of weeks away from the lab) and are collecting water samples for (pesticides and pharmaceuticals analysis), what is the best way to store the samples that long before analysis? I will not have a proper lab to access during the field.
I suppose that the field wastewater samples can be preserved with the addition of concentrated H2SO4 (pH 2) and then kept in portable small refrigerator at 4 °C or in dewar flask container with dry ice or liquid N2.
May this links help you
http://www.ceaeq.gouv.qc.ca/documents/publications/echantillonnage/piscines_bassins_en.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873356/
This depends on where you are working and the facilities you have available and how much sample you need to collect. I am based in the UK but was working in rural Cambodia. For the most part we partnered with a local NGO and used their laboratory facilities to store the sample before shipment to the UK. On days when the laboratory was closed we stored the samples in the fridges in the hotel where we were staying. It's also worth considering if there are local universities that might be interested in collaborating with you. In the field we used a cooler and ice packs (like what you'd have if you went camping) and these kept the samples cool until we returned to the hotel/lab.
Article High resolution profile of inorganic aqueous geochemistry an...
Chapter Groundwater sampling, arsenic analysis and risk communicatio...
The U.S. EPA approved method for selected pesticides requires samples to be collected in glass bottles that prevent photodegredation of the sample. Generally, the bottles are amber in color.
Specifically, here is what the U.S. specifies: "6.1 Sampling equipment for discrete or composite sampling 6.1.1 Sample bottles and caps 6.1.1.1 Liquid samples (waters, sludges and similar materials containing 5 percent solids or less) – Sample bottle, amber glass, 1.1-L minimum, with screw cap. 6.1.1.2 Solid samples (soils, sediments, sludges, paper pulps, filter cake, compost, and similar materials that contain more than 5 percent solids) – Sample bottle, wide mouth, amber glass, 500-mL minimum. 6.1.1.3 If amber bottles are not available, samples must be protected from light. 6.1.1.4 Bottle caps – Threaded to fit sample bottles. Caps must be lined with fluoropolymer. 6.1.1.5 Cleaning 6.1.1.5.1 Bottles are detergent water washed, then solvent rinsed before use. 6.1.1.5.2 Liners are detergent water washed and rinsed with reagent water (Section 7.6.1)."
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/method_1699_2007.pdf
The U.S. Geologic Survey report linked here is routinely cited in U.S. papers looking at pharmaceutical waste and pesticide products in water. **If you are looking at antibiotics, many antibiotics rapidly degrade in the environment; however, some are quite persistent. Protocols for antibiotics may be different than these prescribed for the more general class of pharmaceuticals. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr94455 Here's a national surveillance article for the U.S. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es011055j
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Analytical Chemistry
- Extraction