Suggested Modifications to Ground Water Sampling Procedures Based on Observations from the Colloidal Borescope

Abstract

Abstract Observations of colloidal movement under natural conditions and during pumping were conducted at several field sites. Results indicate that several modifications to present sampling protocols may improve the representativeness and cost effectiveness of obtaining ground water samples for assessing the total mobile contaminant load. These modifications include the installation of dedicated sampling devices, limited purging of the well prior to sampling, sampling at a flow rate of 100 mL/min, and no filtering of samples. This sampling approach can result in significant cost savings while providing the best possible water samples.