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AEGIS ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE RE: GROUNDWATER PURGING AND SAMPLING SOP-7 Prior to water sampling, each well is purged by evacuating a minimum of three wetted well-casing volumes of groundwater. When required, purging will continue until either the discharge water temperature, conductivity, or pH stabilize, a maximum of ten well-bore volumes of groundwater have been recovered, or the well is bailed dry. When practical, the groundwater sample should be collected when the water level in the well recovers to at least 80 percent of its static level. The sampling equipment consists of either a "Teflon" bailer, PVC bailer, or stainless steel bladder pump with a "Teflon" bladder. If the sampling system is dedicated to the well, then the bailer is usually "Teflon," but the bladder pump is PVC with a polypropylene bladder. In general and depending on the intended laboratory analysis, 40-milliliter glass, volatile organic analysis (VOA) vials, with "Teflon" septa, are used as sample containers. The groundwater sample is decanted into each VOA vial in such a manner that there is no meniscus at the top of the vial. A cap is quickly secured to the top of the vial. The . vial is then inverted and gently tapped to see if air bubbles are present. If none are present, the vial is labeled and refrigerated for delivery, under strict chain-of-custody, to the analytical laboratory. Label information should include a unique sample identification number, job identification number, date, time, type of analysis requested, and the sampler's name. i For quality control purposes, a duplicate water sample is collected from each well. This sample is put on hold at the laboratory. When required, a trip blank is prepared at the laboratory and placed in the transport cooler. It is labeled similar to the well samples, remains in the cooler during transport, and is analyzed by the laboratory along with the groundwater samples. In addition, a field blank may be prepared in the field when sampling equipment is not dedicated. The field blank is prepared after a pump or bailer has.been either steam cleaned or properly washed, prior to use in the next well, and is analyzed along with the other samples. The field blank analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the in-field cleaning procedures to prevent cross-contamination. To minimize the potential for cross-contamination between wells, all well development and water sampling equipment not dedicated to a well is either steam cleaned or properly washed between use. As a second precautionary measure, wells are sampled in order of least to highest concentrations as established by available previous analytical data. In the event the water samples cannot be submitted to the analytical laboratory on the same day they are collected (e.g., due to weekends or holidays), the samples are temporarily stored until the first opportunity for submittal either on ice in a cooler, such as when in the field, or in a refrigerator at Aegis' office. ATTACHMENT/SOP-7/SEPTEMBER 1992