Field Equipment Decontamination Procedures for Multi-Media Environmental Sampling

During environmental sampling events, a wide variety of field equipment is used to collect samples from a multitude of media and to perform field analysis on a variety of media. It is a common practice to use most equipment on a portable basis, at more than one sampling location. This is certainly convenient, but introduces the potential for cross-contamination of sampling locations and individual samples, both of which will affect the representative nature of samples collected. To prevent this potentially very serious and costly problem, it is critical to implement thorough and effective field equipment cleaning protocols. Within this module, classroom presentations and four separate field videos discuss in detail field equipment cleaning protocols that apply to equipment used for sampling soil, ground water, surface water and sediment. Additionally, classroom discussions cover cleaning protocols for equipment used at a variety of waste management units (e.g. landfills, surface impoundments, drums, dumpsters, waste piles) and artifacts (e.g. flooring, ceiling tile, walls). Learn how decontamination procedures may vary according to the medium being sampled and by contaminants being analyzed in samples. Discover why a few of the “detergents” commonly used for field equipment cleaning should be avoided for some field applications because they may contain phosphates, and why others may introduce trace amounts of semi-volatile compounds if not diluted sufficiently. You will also learn important terminology such as the differences between portable, dedicated, designated and disposable field equipment.

Module ES–04 (Total Length: 103 minutes) Price: $159.00 Register Using Your E-School Account

Purposes of Field Equipment Decontamination
Considerations for Selection of an Effective Field Decontamination Protocol
Discussion of ASTM Standards D 5088 and D 5608 on Field Equipment Decontamination
Control Water – Understanding the Term and How it Affects Decon Water Selection for Various Media, Contaminants and Equipment
Dedicated vs. Designated vs. Portable vs. Disposable Equipment – Understanding the Differences and Building Them Into Your Cleaning Protocols
Unique Options for Cleaning Surface Water and Sediment Sampling Devices
Problems Associated With Using Chemical Desorbing Agents
QA/QC Elements of Equipment Cleaning Programs
Avoiding Common Errors in the Field During Equipment Cleaning

Total CEUs for Module ES-04: 1.7 CEUs