Topic: Field Equipment Decontamination Procedures

It is a common practice to use a variety of field equipment that travels from well to well during a ground-water sampling event.  Portable equipment such as water-level gauges, flow cells, analytical instruments and multi-parameter sondes are examples of some equipment that is used in each monitoring well, even in situations where dedicated pumps are used.  And, of course, where portable pumps are used, the pump (and, in many cases, the discharge tubing) will also travel from well to well.  To avoid the potentially very serious and costly problem of monitoring well cross-contamination, it is critical to implement thorough and effective field equipment cleaning protocols.  This module discusses in detail field equipment cleaning protocols that apply to drilling, soil sampling and ground-water sampling field equipment.  Learn 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.  Field videos are included within this module to explain the practices and procedures used in decontamination of field equipment used in ground-water sampling events.

Module GWM–16 (Total Length: 99 Minutes)  Price: $159.00  To Register, Sign in to Your E-School Account

Field Decontamination Procedures for Ground-Water Sampling Equipment

  • Objectives 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
  • Problems Associated With Using Chemical Desorbing Agents
  • QA/QC Elements of Equipment Cleaning Programs
  • Verifying the Effectiveness of Field Decontamination Efforts

Total CEUs for Module GWM-016: 1.7 CEUs