Environmental Sampling
Chain-of-custody from point to laboratory
Collection, preservation and transfer of environmental samples under documented chain of custody, so the result is defensible.
The result is only as strong as the chain behind it
Laboratory analysis is rarely what gets challenged. The sample is. Where it was taken, when, by whom, how it was preserved and who handled it before it reached the bench, that is what a reviewer or an opposing expert examines.
A break anywhere in that chain undermines the number at the end of it, however good the analysis. This is why sampling is treated as a documented procedure rather than a task.
What the service covers
Sampling plan design
Locations, frequency, technique and determinands set out before fieldwork, so the campaign answers the question it was commissioned for.
Water and effluent sampling
Grab, composite and flow-proportional sampling as the condition requires, with preservation applied at the point of collection.
Soil and waste sampling
Representative sampling of solid matrices, including waste characterisation sampling for classification.
Air and stack sampling
Collection onto appropriate media for laboratory analysis, with the sampling train documented.
Chain of custody
Documented transfer from collection to laboratory receipt, which is the record that makes the result defensible.
How the work runs
Plan
The sampling design is set against the question and the applicable method.
Collect
Samples are taken using the correct technique, container and preservation.
Transfer
Custody documentation follows the sample to the laboratory.
Verify
Receipt condition and holding times are checked and recorded.
A result is only as good as the method behind it.
Have your conditions reviewedWhat you get out of it
Plan agreed in advance
Locations, technique and determinands are settled before anyone goes on site.
Correct container and preservation
Each determinand has its own requirements, and getting them wrong invalidates the sample.
Custody documented throughout
Every handover is recorded, because that chain is what a challenge examines first.
Holding times respected
Samples reach the laboratory inside their window, which is part of the method rather than a target.
Who needs formal sampling
Permitted facilities
Any sample supporting a compliance submission needs a defensible chain, because the submission can be challenged years later.
Discuss your siteWaste generators
Characterisation sampling determines waste classification, and the whole permit file rests on that classification being right.
Discuss your siteSite investigations
Contamination results drive remediation decisions and transaction values, so the sampling record is examined closely.
Discuss your siteLegal and insurance matters
Where a result may be disputed, the chain of custody is often examined before the analysis is.
Discuss your siteDue diligence
Buyers rely on sampling results to price risk, and a weak chain undermines the whole assessment.
Discuss your siteIncident investigation
Samples taken after a spill or release establish what happened, and the documentation has to withstand scrutiny.
Discuss your siteCommon questions
What is chain of custody?
Can our own staff take samples?
What is the difference between grab and composite sampling?
How many samples do we need?
What if a sample exceeds its holding time?
Not sure what your permit requires?
Send us the conditions and we will tell you exactly which parameters, methods and frequencies apply. No charge for the review.