U.S. Geological Survey protocol for the collection and processing of surface-water samples for the subsequent determination of inorganic constituents in filtered water

Abstract

Since 1987, the U.S. Geological Survey has sponsored numerous studies to evaluate its programmatic sampling, processing, and analytical equipment and procedures used for determining trace-element concentrations in surface water. The major finding of these evaluations was that, in many cases, the sampling and processing procedures used have resulted in traceelement concentrations which, for a number of constituents, appear to be biased by systematic and (or) erratic contamination.