Soil Water and Ground Water Sampling

Book excerpt: The most recent "comprehensive" book on the subject of ground water sampling was written by Dr. Barcelona in 1986 and is still being sold today. It does not, however, include soil water sampling and analytic techniques. A considerable amount of research has since been undertaken dealing with ground water sampling equipment and techniques, making an up-to-date text a valuable commodity. The scope and detail of this book is much broader and more inclusive than previous efforts on the subject, and it provides the latest results of research in the field. The book presents a comprehensive introduction to ground water monitoring, placing monitoring in context with respective regulatory programs. It offers a unique, detailed description of the installation and operation of soil water samplers (pressure-vacuum and zero tension). It provides the most comprehensive, step-by-step guidance on monitoring well installation. The discussion of field instrumentation includes theory and operation of equipment used for obtaining static water levels, temperature, redox, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, turbidity, and alkalinity. Equipment and techniques used to obtain ground water samples are described, and several valuable checklists are included. Quality assurance and control (QA/QC) are addressed in terms that can be easily comprehended and utilized. The book also provides an excellent introduction on how ground water samples are prepared and analyzed in a laboratory. It is difficult to overestimate the quality and utility of this book. More than 46 photographs, an abundance of tables and diagrams, and a well-written style make even the most complex topic understandable. This extremely practical book should serve as the standard for ensuring ground water data reliability and comparability.