Sample collecting hazards

At the Taylor Road landfill (originally intended for the disposal of municipal refuse only), unknown quantities of hazardous wastes from industrial and residential sources were deposited. During the period when the landfill was active, soil and groundwater samples collected at the site were found to contain concentrations of volatile organic compounds and metals above acceptable safe drinking water standards. Analysis of samples collected from private drinking water wells indicated that contamination... 

If a sample cooler has not been fitted, steam flashing will occur because the pressurized BW is at a higher temperature than the atmospheric boiling point. Flash samples are overly concentrated compared with samples drawn from the same point via a sample cooler. Also, collecting flash steam samples is hazardous and may lead to bums. 

Endosulfan (one or both of its isomers) has been identified in air samples collected at only 4 of the 164 NPL hazardous waste sites where it was detected in some environmental media (HazDat 2000). 

The design of this fish study centered on sample collection, preservation, preparation, analysis, and QA/QC. There was no discussion of the effect of compositing on the sample population. No description was given of statistical techniques to be applied to the data for reporting results and for comparison with action levels and future data. Unfortunately, the omission of a statistical framework during planning of the field study is the rule rather than the exception in hazardous waste investigations. 

Another source of acrylonitrile in water is leachate from chemical waste sites. Preliminary data from the Contact Laboratory Program (CLP) Statistical Database indicates that acrylonitrile has been detected in surface water samples collected at two of 862 hazardous-waste sites (including NPL and other sites) being investigated under Superfund. The median concentration of the positive samples was 100 pg/L (CLPSD 1988). Acrylonitrile was detected in 12 groundwater samples collected at 5 sites, also at a median concentration of 100 pg/L. 

There is also a potential for atmospheric release of endrin, endrin aldehyde, and endrin ketone from hazardous waste sites. Endrin has been detected in air samples collected at 4 of the 102 NPL sites where endrin has been detected in some environmental medium (HazDat 1996). No information was found on detections of endrin aldehyde or endrin ketone in air at any NPL hazardous waste site (HazDat 1996)... 

There is also a potential for release of endrin, endrin aldehyde, and endrin ketone to water from hazardous waste sites. Endrin has been detected in surface water samples collected at 10 of the 102 NPL sites, in groundwater samples collected at 37 of the 102 NPL sites, and in leachate samples collected at 2 of the 102 NPL sites where endrin has been detected in some environmental medium (HazDat 1996). Endrin ketone has been detected in surface water samples collected at 5 of the 37 NPL sites, in groundwater samples collected at 16 of the 37 NPL sites, and in leachate samples collected at 2 of the 37 NPL sites where endrin ketone has been detected in some environmental medium (HazDat 1996). No information was found on detections of endrin aldehyde in surface water, groundwater, or leachates at any NPL hazardous waste site (HazDat 1996)... 

Releases of thiocyanate to soil result from anthropogenic and natural sources. Anthropogenic releases occur primarily from direct application in herbicidal formulations (e.g., amitrol-T, a mixture of ammonium thiocyanate and amino-1,2,4-triazole) and from disposal as byproducts from industrial processes. Nonanthropogenic sources include damaged or decaying tissues of plants from the family Brassica (e.g., mustard, rape) (Brown and Morra 1993). Thiocyanate has been detected in soil samples collected at 2 of the 8 hazardous waste sites, and in sediment samples at 3 of the 8 hazardous waste sites where thiocyanate has been detected in some medium (HazDat 1996). The HazDat information used includes data from both NPL and other Superfund sites. 

Pre-entry criteria define the conditions and circumstances under which site characterization activities will be initiated and the manner in which these activities will proceed. At each stage of the process (i.e., approach to the site, on-site characterization activities, sample collection, and exiting the site), specific criteria may be defined for proceeding to the next stage. The pre-entry criteria may also specify the general makeup of the site characterization team under various circumstances. For example, under low-hazard conditions chemical facility teams may perform site characterization, while specially trained responders might be called upon to assist in the case of potentially hazardous conditions at the site. The criteria developed for a particular chemical facility should be consistent with the role that the facility has assumed in performing site characterization activities. 

Dibromoethane has been detected in an estimated 0.12% of the soil samples collected from the 2,783 hazardous waste sites that have had samples analyzed by the CLP a positive geometric concentration value was not reported (CLPSD 1988). Note that the CLPSD includes data from both NPL and non-NPL sites. 

Dibromoethane has also been detected in ambient air samples collected at two hazardous waste sites in New Jersey at geometric mean concentrations of 20- 50 ppt the maximum value reported was 6,710 ppt (La Regina et al. 1986). 

Heptachlor has been detected in an estimated 1.4% of the groundwater samples taken at NPL hazardous waste sites included in EPA s Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) at an estimated geometric mean concentration of 0.78 ppb for the positive samples (CLPSD 1989). The compound was not listed in the CLP Statistical Database (CLPSD) of chemicals detected in surface water samples collected at NPL sites. Heptachlor epoxide was not listed in the CLPSD of chemicals detected in groundwater or surface water samples collected at NPL sites. Note that the information from the CLPSD includes data from NPL sites only. 

Dichlorobenzene has been identified in air and soil gas samples collected at 6 and 4 of the 281 NPL hazardous waste sites, respectively, where it has been detected in some environmental media (HazDat 1998). 

Pediatric patients require other special considerations when prescribing a dmg that requires therapeutic monitoring. Simply obtaining blood samples can be difficult, depending on the age, developmental maturation, and hydration status of the child. In some clinical settings, a lack of personnel comfortable with pediatric phlebotomy makes sample collection even more difficult, or even hazardous. As well, some facilities lack on-site laboratories for... 

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