Using Standard Operating Procedures in the Field

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Using Standard Operating Procedures in the Field

• 2nd Annual Red River Basin Water Quality
  Monitoring Training April 13th, 2005

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What is a SOP Document?

• Standard Operating Procedures
• Explains methods for data collection
• Water Quality (field meas. sampling)
• Biological monitoring
• Flow measurements
• Standard Operating Procedures for Water Quality
  Monitoring in the Red River Watershed Revision
  6 (Oct 2003)

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Importance of Standard Operating Procedures

• Safety
• Proper use of equipment
• Completeness

• Consistency
• Accuracy
• Reliability
• Representative
• Comparability
• Minimize contamination
• From activities at sampling site
• From sampling equipment and bottles

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SOP ROC(k)S!

• ENSE
• OMMON
• F
• ULES

• Will this contaminate the water being sampled,
  sample bottle, etc?
• How can I get the most representative sample?
• Dont take shortcuts that can negatively affect
  accuracy of sample results
• Dont risk life or limb for a sample

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Using Common Sense

• Is this a good time to monitor this site?

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Water Quality Sampling - General

• Equipment Checklists
• Post in a useful, visible location
• Field measurement equipment
• Sampling Equipment
• Waders
• Sample storage and preservation
• Data sheets, chain of custody
• Boat
• Life vests
• Integrated sampler
• Anchor
• Secchi disk
• Oars!

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Calibration Solutions

• Vendors
• Cole Parmer All are certified traceable
• YSI - Expensive
• Myron L Cheap Bulk (32 oz)
• Oakton Cheap Smaller bottles (500 ml)
• Look for an expiration date
• Write the date opened on the bottle

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Calibration Methods

• Current SOP includes lengthy methods for Hydrolab
  in Appendixes
• Will create summarized Hydrolab methods (easier
  to read) for future revisions.
• YSI methods by Wayne Goeken

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Collecting Field Measurements

• Sondes and Probes (pH, temperature, conductivity,
  dissolved oxygen)
• Make sure sondes and probes are calibrated
• Dissolved Oxygen Calibrated the day of sampling
  using barometric pressure change membranes
  monthly
• pH, Conductivity at least monthly
• Check probes for fouling, bubbles in DO membrane
  at each site

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Collecting Field Measurements

• Transparency Tubes
• See the pattern, read, record
• See the screw, read, record
• Average of these readings
• Good methods good correlation
• Turbidity

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Collecting Field Measurements

• Turbidity
• Turbidimeters measure refracted light
• Representativeness
• Rinse the vial 3 times with sample water prior to
  collecting sample
• Rinse with distilled water after analysis to
  remove contamination from the vial
• Accuracy
• Outside of vial should be clean and free of
  anything that may refract light (smudges,
  scratches, lint, water, fingerprints)
• Kim Wipes
• Oil and lint free cloth
• Use cap to hold vial whenever possible

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Collecting Samples (w/ Sampling Device)

• Sample from benchmark
• Place benchmark over thalweg (deepest part of
  stream) if possible
• Preferably a location with a known elevation

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Collecting Samples

• Rinse the sampler with distilled water at least
  at the beginning of the sampling day and more
  often depending on the water being sampled
• Rinse sampler 3 times with sample water prior to
  collecting a sample

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Depth

• 6/10 of the total depth down from the surface.

-Total Depth 3 feet -Sample at 1.8 ft down
from the surface
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Dip samples

• Sample directly with bottle
• Sample method with lowest chance of
  contamination, if done correctly
• Enter downstream of where sample is to be
  collected,
• Walk upstream to sampling site
• Sample upstream of where youre standing

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Collecting Samples

• Handle bottles and lids carefully
• Dont use bottles that are missing caps, or have
  been separated from their caps for a while
• Only handle the outside of bottles and caps
• Make sure bottles are properly labeled
• Preserve phosphorus samples as soon as possible
• Sulfuric acid vials from laboratory

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Collecting Quality Assurance Samples

• Duplicate Samples
• RLWD w/ every 10th sample
• Keep track in sample log
• Blank Samples
• Distilled (or deionized) water
• Using Sampling Equipment (measure contamination
  from equipment bottles)
• Dip (Contamination from bottles only)
• RLWD alternates compare techniques
• The RLWD collects a set of QA samples with every
  10th sample

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Blank sample results

• Most are at or below the detection limit

Pre-8/04
8/04 - present
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Other Types of QA Samples

• Field Split Samples
• Check consistency of
• a labs methods
• Performance Evaluation
• Blind
• Lab knows of check, but doesnt know conc.
• Double Blind
• Lab doesnt know of the check and doesnt know
  the concentration
• MPCA has done performance evaluations on RMB and
  Minnesota Department of Health labs

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Storage and Shipment of Samples

• Cooler
• Different sizes
• Pack securely
• Ice Packs
• Chain of Custody
• Use packing tape on lid
• Deliver to lab or use overnight delivery service,
  especially if requesting time-sensitive analysis
  (fecal coliform)

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Lake Sampling

• Rinsing Integrated Sampler (dust, mice)
• Make sure Secchi disk is clean

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Measuring Stage

• Elevation of the water surface
• Several Methods
• Staff Gauges
• Wire Weight Gauges
• Float Stilling Well Systems
• Measure Down from a Benchmark

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Using a Wire Weight Gauge

• Most are locked obtain key
• Lower weight slowly

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Measuring Down from a Benchmark

• Use a lock as a weight on the end of the tape
• Measure how much length the lock adds to the tape
• Lower tape until bottom of lock skims the water
• Read tape
• Compensate for the lock (add to reading)

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Measuring Flow

• Goal Create a rating curve so that flow can be
  estimated from stage

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Measuring Flow

• Good methods More accurate readings
• More sections more accuracy
• Accuracy Range More reliable rating curves
• Smaller sections in the swiftest section of the
  stream
• Where you measure makes a difference

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Biological Monitoring

• EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocol
• Collecting macroinvertebrates is the fun part,
  sorting and identification can be tedious
• www.waterbugkey.vcsu.edu

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Safety Issues

• Bridges
• Busy Roads
• Swift currents, Deep Water
• Chemicals
• Mud
• Poor water quality (bacteria, etc)
• Weather

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Safety (Footwear)

• Whether you prefer boots or shoes, find footwear
  with good traction.

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Fitness (Often Overlooked Aspect of Fieldwork
Safety)
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The End

• http//www.redlakewatershed.org/waterquality/Entir
  e20SOP20Document.pdf
• Coming Soon Standard Operating Procedures for
  Data Management and Analysis
• Revision 7 of the SOP