To carry out different types of analysis from an environmental point of view, it is necessary to carry out water sampling.The water control is fundamental for the protection of the environment and public health, especially when it comes to drinking water intended for people.
To analyze water,it is necessary to correctly collect small quantities of liquid to be subjected to a chemical analysis in order to detect the possible presence of toxic substances inside them.The analysis can have various purposes, such as verifying the safety and drinkability of the water itself, its sterility in the medical field, or the quantity and type of impurities that may be found in waste water. To best carry out this operation, appropriate tools are needed, first and foremost suitable sampling bottles.In this article we will see how the main water sampling processes take place.
Wastewater sampling
The wastewater (or wastewater) is water used for human activities, both civil and industrial,which may contain organic or inorganic substances potentially harmful to people's health and the environment. The waste water, therefore, after its use, must not be dispersed directly into the environment but must undergo a constantly monitored purification process.In particular, domestic wastewater comes from residential settlements and services that produce wastewater from human metabolism and domestic activities. It is therefore water coming from civil waste.The Legislative Decree 152/99 provides for the taking of average samples for the quality control of civil wastewater, with average samples weighted over 24 hours.
Sampling can occur in two ways.The composite average sampling involves the sampling of water at regular time intervals, using manual instruments such as a dip tube or a ballasted bottle, or with an automatic sampler equipped with a timer. The samples must all be of the same quantity.The continuous average sampling, however, requires that the water is taken automatically and continuously for a duration of three hours. It is essential that the bottles are completely sterile and are not contaminated: for this reason they must only be touched with sterile gloves.It is very important that they are then kept away from light and at a refrigerated temperature, perhaps in refrigerator cases, until they arrive in the laboratory, within 24 hours of collection. It is essential that the temperature of the sampled water is around 5°.The best materials for this type of sampling are those made of Pyrex glass or disposable plastic materials such as polyethylene.
Sterile water sampling
The sampling of sterile waters requires some extra attention.This is the case, for example, of the chemical analysis of the water of a swimming pool, where chlorine is present. The presence of this disinfectant substance, in fact, inhibits the detection of harmful microbiological substances, thus resulting in a potentially incorrect chemical analysis of the water.To solve this problem, a substance called sodium thiosulphate is used, capable of neutralizing chlorine and thus making the water analysis decidedly more reliable.There are particular bottles on the market that contain this substance, in the correct concentration, suitable for carrying out sterile water sampling.For non-chlorinated water, however, it is sufficient to use a sterile bottle without sodium thiosulfate.
Industrial waste water sampling
The industrial waste waters, as defined by art. 74 of Legislative Decree.152/06 and subsequent amendments, are wastewater discharged from plants or buildings in which industrial activities for the production of goods or commercial activities are carried out, and are therefore different from domestic wastewater. The sampling and chemical analysis of industrial wastewater is therefore essential to contain pollution phenomena.The collection and analysis of industrial waste water samples constitute a fundamental aspect in the field of water depollution. The discharges of this type of waste water must be made accessible to the competent authorities, at a point upstream of the entry of the water into the waste water network.Each production facility must therefore be equipped with a suitable inspection well to carry out sampling. The sampling in this case must be planned, and must take into account the production cycle and the characteristics of the company to be monitored.The containers chosen for sampling must not release or absorb substances altering the composition of the sample and must be resistant. Even in these cases, glass and polyethylene are the preferred materials for this type of analysis.The samples must then be analyzed in the laboratory within 24 hours, taking care to keep them at a temperature of around 5° and not exposed to light.
Drinking water sampling
The sampling of drinking water, that for human use, is probably the most common.These are analyzes aimed at detecting the quality of the water drunk by people.
If the water contains chlorine, it is advisable to use containers with the addition of sodium thiosulphate, in the amount of 100 μl for every 100 ml of capacity of the bottle, which must be made of glass or sterile plastic material.To take water directly from a tap it is necessary to remove the rubber and plastic tubes attached to it and mechanically clean the mouth, also using a light flaming procedure.The water must then flow for at least 5 minutes before taking the sample to be taken for chemical analysis, and the bottles used must be completely clean and sterile.latex gloves must then be used, taking care not to touch the internal part of the neck of the bottle with the fingers, to avoid even the slightest contamination. The bottle must be filled to the neck, and then labeled precisely identifying the sample.It is then best to keep the collected water in the dark and at a temperature around 5°, to be transported to the competent laboratory within 24 hours of its collection.This is a type of analysis that is also used to look for rather dangerous bacteria such as legionella, for which, in particular, it is advisable to take slightly warm water.
The bottles for water sampling of __KEEP_0__
As we have seen, water sampling,in its different modalities, it requires that some very precise guidelines be respected. First of all, the absence of external contamination on the instruments used for sampling must be verified, as well as suitable conservation of the sample once collected.It is important that the containers suitable for these withdrawals are perfectly intact.__KEEP_0__ offers a vast range of bottles for water sampling: different containers with different capacities, made with the best performing materials, with or without sodium thiosulphate depending on different sampling needs,whether for industrial waters or waters for civil use.
