The following list describes eight purposes of sampling after incidents or accidents involving hazardous substances or packaged dangerous goods. Most often only a few of them are appropriate in a specific case.
 

1.

Occupational safety
When necessary, the spill should be examined (analysed) to establish whether there are any health risks for the response personnel. The substance may be flammable and cause fire and/or explosion, or may be toxic and cause danger to health if inhaled or exposed to skin.
 

2.

Penal liability
The responsible polluter should, if possible, be identified and be charged for the spill. This can be done by comparing chemical analyses of samples from the spill with samples from suspected sources. If identity is established between the spill and a suspected source, this can help to identify the polluter.
 

3.

Polluter’s economical liability
The results of sampling have often been used as a basis for compensation claims against the polluter. These claims may concern costs associated with response and cleanup measures, or damage to property, fishery, recreational areas, etc. Above all, it is important to tie the suspected polluter to the damage in order to confirm the claims.
 

4.

Spill response planning
On some occasions, special analyses can give important information that can support planning of response and cleanup work. It is important to study chemical and physical property data of the substance when selecting equipment and methods as well as safety routines for the response operation.
 

5.

Short term environmental protection
The substance’s acute deleterious effects on the environment can vary considerably depending on its properties. Many chemicals show acute toxic effects to the marine life and some substances have a tendency to smear beaches, plants and animals. Besides identifying the substance it may be necessary to sample and analyse the water column, sediment, organisms, etc.
 

6.

Long term environmental protection
Certain substances may cause long term deleterious effects on the environment, and some species may be knocked out, or the environment be polluted for a long time. Assessment should be made to judge how the environment can be restored. It may be necessary to sample and analyse the substance itself, as well as water, sediment, organisms, etc.
 

7.

8.

Disposal
The selection of techniques for the subsequent disposal is based on the type of substance and its properties, and the spill’s volume. Many disposal plants are specialized for certain hazardous materials and cannot process other types.
 

1.

Establish a plan for documentation of the sampling work.
 

2.

Make arrangements for appropriate sampling if health risks are liable to occur.
 

3.

Make sure that necessary samples are taken concerning extent and accuracy of both spill and contaminated items as well as suspected sources.
 

4.

Judge if special examinations of the spill are needed to facilitate spill response measures.
 

5.

Judge if short term and/or long term environmental impact may be expected. In such a case, contact appropriate agencies.
 

6.

Judge if special examinations and analyses are needed when providing for general and specific needs for information.
 

7.

Contact responsible bodies for transport and disposal. Check what special information is needed in this context and make arrangements for relevant analyses.

1.

Sampling actions on unknown materials should be taken on a “worst possible case basis”, i.e. if nothing is known whatsoever about the substance it should be considered as extremely hazardous and due safety precautions should be taken.
 

2.

All spills encountered and all potential sources of spills should be sampled. It is important to take samples from both spill and source even on such occasions where it seems quite clear from where the spill originates. Use at first hand the type of sampling equipment and routines described in this Chapter.
 

3.

Sampling procedures, which are connected to liability investigations, must be performed with great care and accuracy concerning spills as well as suspected sources. Every action should be taken to prevent a decrease in the samples’ value as evidence.
 

4.

If a spill has scattered on the water surface and only thin sheens remain, yet every possible effort should be made to take at least a small sample. No sample volume is too small to be shipped to the laboratory. The laboratory can often analyse very small samples, for example water samples that seemingly consist of pure water or sample pads that do not show any trace of substance.
 

5.

Assistance should be received from appropriate expertise on occasions of hesitation. All sampling of chemicals on board vessels or in other sources should, if possible, be left to the crew or staff, or should be carried out in close co-operation with the crew/staff. Special safety precautions must be taken during sampling activities in atmospheres that might be explosive.
 

6.

Samples and sampling equipment should be handled and stored so that the samples cannot be manipulated, mixed up, or else be contaminated by strange substances. Samples should be handled as legal evidence and should be kept in a “chain of custody” until identification and possible legal procedure has been completed. Therefore, always use a type of sealable and individually numbered safety bags described later in this Chapter.
 

7.

A bottle containing a sample should not be placed in the sampling kit together with the clean equipment. Reusable sampling equipment should always be very carefully cleaned, and put into clean plastic bags, before restoring in the sampling kit case. Used sample bottles must not be used again - not even after careful washing.
 

8.

Make notes of all relevant information about samples and sample sites. Use a miniature camera or a video camera to record observations which are considered important for the investigation.
 

9.

The samples should be immediately sent to the Sample Co-ordinator. Quick handling of samples is important. If the transmittal is delayed the samples should be kept under a temperature of less than +4°C
 

10.

Consumed equipment should be replaced as soon as possible so that the sampling kit case always is fit for use and so that new samples can always be quickly taken, packed and sent away.
 

•

Sampling

•

Sample keeping and transmittal

•

Identification, labelling, documentation

•

Chemical, physical and biological analyses

•

Judgement of the analysis results

•

Presentation of the analysis results
 

Each step must be taken with care and accuracy. This is a prerequisite for a compilation of an information report which is as capable as the circumstances allow. Points to be observed during sampling and subsequent handling of samples, are for example:
 

•

Several samples must be taken from spills covering large areas or divided in several locations.
 

•

Sampling in a suspected source must be performed in such a careful way that the suspected polluter with certainty can be tied to, or cleared of, the spill.
 

•

All samples must be labelled so that they can be unmistakably referred to the sampling points.
 

•

Sample containers must be labelled, closed and kept in such a way that any supposition on confusion or manipulation can be excluded.
 

•

All sampling documentation, as well as other evidence, must be available during the investigation, but also be protected from loss, confusion and manipulation.
 

•

Continuing record-keeping must be made regarding all transmissions of samples, other evidence and documentation between officials.
 

The Sampling Co-ordinator is responsible for transmission of samples to the appointed laboratories.
 

Globules, balls and thick parts can often be sampled directly by a sample bottle. Fill the bottle with as many balls as possible or skim substance from the surface by repeated sweeps with the bottle. Remove the water which has entered the bottle (see Section 4.8.2 item 2). Then continue to skim substance and try to get as much as possible of dewatered chemical (a few millilitres are better than nothing).
 

A holder is fitted onto the ring and by means of this holder the device can be fastened to a boathook or the like.

Polyethylene cornet

Holder
 

Figure 4 - 2
 

The assembled device is swept through the spill so as to skim as much substance as possible.

Figure 4 - 3

Figure 4 - 4

Figure 4 - 5

N.B. Do not fill the bottle to a higher level than up to 2 cm below the lower edge of the lid.

Figure 4 - 6

clothes peg

teflon pad

Figure 4 - 7

Figure 4 - 8

Chemical spills that disperse or dissolve in the water column can be sampled by ordinary water sampling equipment. There exist a great variety of such equipment. Bottles mounted in holders (Figure 4 - 9) may be used for sampling the upper 0-30 m water layers. Other sophisticated, more or less automatic devices (Figure 4 - 10) may be more suitable for taking samples at greater depths.

Picture source: HYDRO-BIOS GmbH

Figure 4 - 9

Figure 4 - 10

An alternative sampling method on the seabed is to use a sediment sampler (Figure 4 - 11) of which there are many various types also for deep waters.

Figure 4 -  11   A Ponar sampler
(its width is appr. 20 cm)

Never take whole animal samples, body tissues, etc. which may become rotten during shipment. Try to cut off small parts of smeared feathers, fur, etc. Put the material directly into a sample bottle.

To draw hazardous samples from various types of containers require specialized skill and training. Emergency response personnel should not try to perform such sampling but call for assistance from chemical institutes or plants with special expertise.

4.7        Taking samples on board vessels

Use a miniature camera or a video camera to record observations which are judged to be valuable for the investigation.

A clean, unused glass tube is put into the sample collector which is hooked onto a steel measuring tape which must be grounded before starting the sampling. The sample is collected through a sounding pipe and transferred to a 100 ml sample bottle. The glass tube is discarded and the sample collector must be thoroughly cleaned!

Figure 4 - 12

When samples are taken in tanks containing volatile noxious the following advice shall be observed:

•

•

•

•

•

The sampler must not have loose items in the pockets. They might fall down into the tank.
 

Equipment made of metal for sampling and ullage-sounding must not be brought into the tank, or be left in the tank, during loading and within 30 minutes after loading has stopped. Examples of such equipment are steel measuring tapes and steel measuring sticks. Non-conducting equipment without metal parts may generally be used at any time. Cords, however, used for lowering equipment into tanks must be made of natural fibres (not synthetic materials).

Equipment made of metal for sampling and ullage-sounding can be used 30 minutes after loading has stopped. However, it is important that the equipment is firmly grounded to the ship’s hull before it is brought into the tank. The equipment must remain grounded until it has been removed from the tank.

Miscellaneous

Sounding and sampling by means of pipes, designed for this purpose, is allowed at any time.

4.8.1          Sample custody and documentation

Each safety bag number is unique for one specific sample. The number is the identification of the sample. One of the detachable number labels shall be affixed onto the glass sample bottle label (Figure 4 - 14). The next number label shall be placed on the outer plastic jar (Figure 4 - 16) and the third label on the Letter of Request (cf. Subchapter 4.9).

Figure 4 - 13

A sample label (cf. Figure 4 - 14) shall be affixed to each sample bottle.

Sampling date.

(Space for a number label from an

Judged date for spill:

individually numbered safety bag)

Sampling site:

oSpill

oRef.sample (e.g. from a ship)

Suspected source:

TEMP.  

Water  ^oC:        Air  ^oC:

Spill information (volume, extension, judged substance type etc.)

SAMP-

Name:

Field unit:

   LER

Phone:

Alt. phone:

Figure 4 - 14
 

The following documentation is important when samples are taken and shipped:

•

•

•

1.

As sample containers use 100 ml thick-walled wide-neck high quality glass bottles (Figure 4 - 15). A suitable inner neck diameter is 30 mm. The lid tightening should be of high quality. Use a new (unused) 100 ml sample bottle for each sampling site.

Figure 4 - 15

2.

If possible, avoid getting water into the bottle. One method to remove water from the bottle is to screw on the lid and hold bottle upside down for a minute. Then let the substance float upwards to the bottom of the bottle so that the water can be drained by opening the lid carefully.

3.

4.

5.

Affix a filled-in sample label (cf. Figure 4 - 14) onto each bottle.
 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Put the bottle package into a 600 ml plastic jar (Figure 4 - 16) which is used as an outer container. Affix the second number label onto the outside of this jar. Keep the third number label for the Letter of Request (cf. Subchapter 4.9).

Plastic jar used as an outer container for the sample bottle which is enclosed in a safety bag.
 

Cardboard box (with approval inscription) for shipment of the sample.

6.

The samples should be sent immediately to the Sample Co-ordinator. A quick handling of samples is important. If the transmittal is delayed the samples should be kept under a temperature of less than +4°C. The Sample Co-ordinator watches the continued shipping of the samples.
 

The plastic jar with its content of a sample bottle inserted in a sealed safety bag (Figure 4 - 13) should be placed in a cardboard box, before shipment, as shown in Figure 4 - 17.
 

7.

The whole packaging must be type approved for transport of dangerous goods and the cardboard box must wear an inscription which shows this approval (cf. Figure 4 - 18)
(cf. also Sections 6.1.2 and 6.2.2.1).

Figure 4 - 18

The United Nations packaging symbol.

4

Type of packaging (4 = box).

G

Type of packaging material (G = corrugated fibreboard).

X

Intended for packing groups I, II and III.

1

The maximum gross in kilograms for packagings intended to contain solids or inner packagings.

S

Intended for the transport of solids or inner packagings or, for packagings (other than combination packagings) intended to contain liquids, the hydraulic test pressure which the packaging was shown to withstand in kPa, rounded down to the nearest 10 kPa.

02

The last two digits of the year during which the packaging was manufactured.

S

The State authorising the allocation of the mark (S = Sweden).

SP

The name of the manufacturer or other identification of the packaging specified by the competent authority.

319509

Approval Certificate No.

End of Chapter 4