Setting up a field laboratory and auxiliary equipment

The field laboratory set up by the field research group is a key element to completing successful worker exposure/re-entry research. The field laboratory may be set up in close proximity to the treated field, but should be located at a reasonable distance from the treated area to avoid cross-contamination of field samples and field controls. 

The field laboratory must have running water, lavatory facilities, and electricity to facilitate hygiene of the Field Scientist crew and also to facilitate the use of air pump battery chargers and office equipment such as portable copiers which may be of value during the course of the field research. 

Many of these supplies may be purchased at local supply stores or through research supply companies. Personal computers with Internet software, laptop notebooks, fax machines, and portable copiers should also be moved to the field laboratory to provide the field research staff with the most modem communication and office technology. 

3 Use of portable weather stations and hand-held weather equipment at the field laboratory 

Portable weather stations are useful to have available at the field laboratory for acquiring weather data during the course of the worker exposure/re-entry study. There are a variety of portable weather stations available from a variety of suppliers. Weather data to be collected are rainfall, wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, and relative humidity. These electronic weather stations will record the necessary weather parameters on a routine basis. The data are stored and can be transferred to a laptop computer or disk as desired by the Field Scientist. Such portable electronic weather stations are useful during the course of the dislodgeable residue portion of a worker re-entry study when dislodgeable residue samples are taken from remote test sites over the course of a 30-day period. 

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