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REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF HETEROGENEOUS SOILS
Citation:
Kern*, A M., J. D. Evans, S Hayes*, K. G. Partymiller, AND G. Swanson. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF HETEROGENEOUS SOILS. ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND ANALYSIS 6(3):20-27, (1997).
Description:
Standard sampling and analysis methods for hazardous substances in contaminated soils currently are available and routinely employed. Standard methods inherently assume a homogeneous soil matrix and contaminant distribution; therefore only small sample quantities typically are processed. Heterogeneous soils (soils that contain oversized materials such as gravel, rocks and debris; highly concentrated contaminants such as lead chunks and tar balls; and otherwise unevenly distributed contaminants) are not easily analyzed using these standard methods, because researchers may not be able to collect a representative soil sample. Authors of previous papers on this subject have reviewed sampling theory and have recommended that guidance be developed. Difficulties associated with the sampling and analysis of heterogeneous soils were evaluated carefully during several demonstrations for the EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL, now the National Risk Management Research Laboratory [NRMRL]) under the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program.