Clean Sampling of Mercury

1
Clean Sampling of Mercury

• EPA Region VI Pretreatment Conference
• Lisa Ellington and Ashley Barr
• Paragould Light, Water and Cable
• August 13, 2008

2
Reference

• EPA Method 1669
• Sampling Ambient Water for Trace Metals at EPA
  Water Quality Criteria Levels
• Applicable to the following metals
• Antimony
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Chromium (III)
• Chromium (VI)
• Copper
• Lead
• Mercury
• Nickel
• Selenium
• Silver
• Thallium
• Zinc

3
(No Transcript)
4

• Protects sample from becoming contaminated
• Tyvek Coveralls
• Spunbonded Olefin Fiber
• Flexible
• Hood, elastic wrists, booties
• Lab Safety Supply
• Catalog 8BB148823

5

• Keeps sampling personnel from breathing directly
  into sample
• Filtering facepiece
• Latex free
• Lab Safety Supply
• Catalog 8BB124269

6

• Aids in the prevention of sample contamination
• Latex, powder-free gloves
• Microflex
• Catalog EV-2050

7

• Sample bottle should be double-bagged
• Dirty hands touches the outside bag only
• Clean hands touches inner bag and bottle

8
Other Items Needed

• Field Blank
• Bottle filled with Hg free water
• Exposed to same atmosphere as sample
• Trip Blank
• Bottle filled with Hg free water
• Do nothing with this bottle
• Sampling Device
• Plastic Sheeting

9
Sampling Procedure

• Don appropriate equipment
• Coveralls
• Mask
• Gloves
• Gather necessary items for sampling
• Dirty hands
• One pair of gloves
• Sample bottle
• Field blank
• Sampling device

10
Sampling Procedure - continued

• Clean hands
• Three to four pair of gloves
• Inner sampling bag
• Sample bottle
• Field blank
• Grab Samples
• Total of four
• Date and time
• Flow
• Contract lab composites

11
Sampling Procedure - continued

• Collect samples facing upstream and upwind when
  possible
• Samples can be collected on land or from a boat
• Grab technique used for surface samples
• Subsurface samples collected by suction or pumping

12
Questions?