Sampling of water, soil and sediment to trace organic pollutants at a river-basin scale

Sampling is considered a crucial step in the analysis of organic compounds in the environment. This review describes field sampling techniques and provides detailed step-by-step procedures for collection and preservation of all major environmental matrices (water, sediment and soil) integrated as part of the river-basin water cycle. Attention is given to the prerequisites for obtaining reliable samples, and the practical issues of sample collection (planning, field sampling, sampling strategies and equipment and data quality assessment) are considered. Considering the heterogeneity of environmental matrices, special considerations for each matrix are given to solve typical problems and to find the most appropriate solutions to ensure the quality of the sample. The procedures described in the next sections are commonly used protocols that reflect true field conditions and current state-of-the-art techniques used in the sampling of organic compounds. The aim is to signify the importance of sampling to the overall analytical procedure. Finally, quality control issues to be considered in environmental sampling are given.