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Home > Technical Articles > Environmental
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How to Send Environmental Samples to WCAS1. Chain-of-Custody - Fill out completely and include the name of the person taking the samples under "Comments" on the chain-of-custody. 2. Supplies - For samples being shipped to us we will provide free of charge the correct containers with preservative in them. We will also ship supplies free of charge by UPS Ground. If you need these supplies quicker we can always ship them using your account number to save you money. 3. Holding Times - To make sure holding times are met ship samples on the same day as sampled. Some holding times are 24 hours or less so same day delivery may be required. We are not responsible for missed holding times if samples are not shipped on day of sampling or, in the case of short holding times, we are not informed. Give us a call at 562-948-2225 if you are not sure about the holding time. 4. Preservation - Make sure that all water samples are preserved per the method. Give us a call at 562-948-2225 if you are not sure about what preservative to use. 5. Shipping samples - Make sure they will be cold (4º C, ± 2° C) until they reach the lab. We are not open on Saturday or Sunday and samples will not stay cold over the weekend so ship accordingly. We recommend FedEx as our experience shows less breakage but make sure sample containers are packaged so they will not break during shipment. Remember that ice does melt and as it does samples may shift and possibly break. We recommend using commercially available "blue ice". |
Ship samples to: West Coast Analytical Service, Inc. 6. Lab Contacts - Our Client Services Department would be happy to help you with any of the above. They can be reached by phone or email at the following: Louis Albanese 562-948-2225, ext 303 louis.albanese@bodycote.com Jennifer Oakes 562-948-2225, ext 305 jennifer.oakes@bodycote.com Adrian Sapiens 562-948-2225, ext 301 adrian.sapiens@bodycote.com 7. Terms & Conditions - No matter how you pay we must have on file from your company a signed copy of our Terms & Conditions. Data will not be released unless this has been completed. To check to see if your company has completed this step give any of the above contacts a call. 8. Payment - We accept cash, company checks, and MasterCard or Visa. You can also open an account by submitting a Credit Application. No matter how you pay we must have on file a signed Terms & Conditions from your company. Data will not be released until we have these signed Terms & Conditions from your company on file. 9. Reports - We fax all data when complete and follow up with a signed hard copy report (Sample Reports). |
Hold Times, Preservatives, and ContainersMost methods for environmental samples developed by the EPA and others have sections concerning required holding times, preservatives, and containers. These requirements are in place to preserve the integrity of samples against biological, chemical, and physical reactions affecting the analyte(s) of concern. Not following the guidelines within the methods may invalidate the analyses. For this reason all samplers must be aware of these requirements. Holding times range from immediate to none specified. Preservation requirements include keeping the sample cold (4° C) and often adding a preservative. Containers include glass and plastic. Caps and their liners are also an issue as well as headspace in a sample. Before any sampling takes place the sampler must be aware of the specific requirements for the analyses they will request. WCAS will provide containers with the preservatives already added or |
supplied, and the holding times for each analysis. In general
samples should be kept cold (use temperature blanks when possible) and
delivered to the lab as quickly as possible after sampling. Most
regulatory agencies also require written on the chain-of-custody the
samplers name, date and time sampled, and what preservative was used.
Here is a short list of the most commonly missed hold times:
There are other methods that have similar holding times but are not as common. Before sampling remember to always be fully aware of sampling requirements, preservation, and holding times. |
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9240
Santa Fe Springs Rd |
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562.948.2225 Fax 562.948.5850 |
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