Drainage sampling stream water collection

The required volume for the analysis of water samples from a drainage flow, stream, or river is collected from a depth of up to 50 cm at the center of a flow using an appropriate sampling bottle. A sample size of 1000 mL should be sufficient for the usual type of determination. The sampling bottle and bottles for storage and shipment should be well washed with an appropriate organic solvent and distilled water so that the sample is not contaminated, and keeping those bottles in a clean container is recommended. It is recommended that samples taken are kept below 5 °C and shipped to the laboratory as soon as possible. 

Running stream water was collected from the small, second-order, drainage basins (<100 km2) at the same site as the active stream sediment. In dry terrains, such as southern Europe, streams have no running water for most of the year. Hence, the sampling, whenever possible, was carried out during the winter and early spring months. Four subsamples of stream water were separately collected from each site. 

On arrival at site, samples should be collected in the order of stream water, stream sediment and panned heavy mineral concentrate. A flow chart of procedures is shown in Fig. 4.7 which demonstrates the team effort of a sampling pair to efficiendy sample a site in a strictly prescribed order. Time spent at each site will vary according to the experience of the samplers and the ease of collecting and sieving fine sediment. On average a drainage site should take 30-40 min to sample. 

Figure 4.7 A flow chart summarising the procedures at a drainage site for the collection of stream water, sediment and heavy mineral concentrate. Note Certain procedures are repeated when duplicate samples are collected.

Deposition surfaces that should be considered for sampling of air-transported particles, and corresponding sampling techniques, are given in Table 12.12. Soluble and suspended uranium may be transported off-site by process waste water streams, natural surface drainage, and surface streams. Sample types that should be collected include ... 

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