Reference no: EM132493497 , Length: word count:4000

Sampling and Analysis Plan

Introduction:

A SAP (Sampling and Analysis Plan) documents the procedures and analytical requirements for sampling activities that are performed to collect environmental samples (soil, air, water or biological materials) and to determine whether these exceeding thresholds. The thresholds could be statutory requirements or guidelines.

What should be included in a basic SAP will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. However, most guidance on SAPs suggests the following elements should be included:
• The objectives of the sampling program
• Background on the site, including maps
• The types of samples to be collected (e.g. sediment, water...)
• Sample collection design (the spatial and temporal pattern of sampling)
• Methods
o sample containers,
o sampling devices and equipment,
o sample preservation
o equipment decontamination procedures,
o sample handling procedures and
o reference to recognised protocols
• Analytes of Concern
• Analytical Procedures, with reference to recognised protocols or standard methods
• Environmental Quality Guidelines (what guidelines or standards will be dapples be compared against to determine environmental acceptability)
• Disposal of Residual Materials
• Anticipated Cost
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures.

Your major assignment for the unit (Assignment 3, not this assignment) is to undertake prepare a report which identifies the priority drains entering the Canning River Estuary. To do this, you would need to collect data on the water quality of the drains and the water entering the Canning River Estuary. This would normally be done through a monitoring programme, which would be described in a Sampling and Analysis Plan.

The assignment:

For this assignment, you are required to produce a SAP that defines the sampling and analysis required to determine the water quality (nutrients and metals) of the main drains entering the ‘Canning River Estuary ‘ portion of the Swan and Canning Rivers Estuary (Fig. 1), and to identify the drains which should be a priority for management attention.

The SAP should:
• State the objectives of the sampling;
• Define the study site;
• Outline the known environmental history of the study site;
• Outline the intended sampling design (spatial and temporal);
• State or refer to the field sampling methods
• State the analytes of interest;
• State or refer to the laboratory analysis;
• Define any guidelines or standards that should guide the collection and analysis of samples;
• Define any guidelines or standards that be used as criteria to assess water quality and identify priority drains for management attention.

Structure of the SAP
Using the SAP Guidelines (Australia) or the SAP Template (US EPA) as a guide for the structure of your SAP (see ‘Supporting Documents', below).

Attachment:- Sampling and Analysis Plan.zip