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Specimen Collection & Handling Flashcards

7 cards from real CPG practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Specimen Collection & Handling flashcards as text

  1. During low-flow (minimal drawdown) groundwater purging, when is the well generally considered ready to sample?

    Answer: When field parameters such as pH, conductivity, temperature, DO, and ORP stabilize within set criteria

    Low-flow protocols rely on stabilization of indicator parameters over consecutive readings, not a fixed purge volume.

  2. An equipment rinsate blank is collected mainly to evaluate which of the following?

    Answer: How well non-dedicated sampling equipment was decontaminated

    Analyte-free water poured over or through decontaminated equipment shows whether cross-contamination could come from reused gear.

  3. A geologist collects a field duplicate. What does comparing the duplicate with its parent sample mainly assess?

    Answer: Precision of the combined sampling and analytical process

    Field duplicates are evaluated by relative percent difference to measure overall precision, including sampling variability.

  4. When logging a split-spoon sample, the blow counts for the second and third 6-inch increments are added together to report what?

    Answer: Standard Penetration Test N-value

    Under ASTM D1586, the N-value is the sum of blows for the last two 6-inch increments of an 18-inch drive.

  5. Why are samples for VOC analysis in water collected in 40-mL vials with no headspace?

    Answer: To prevent volatile compounds from partitioning into trapped air and escaping

    Any air bubble lets VOCs partition out of the water, so vials are filled to a convex meniscus and checked for bubbles.

  6. What is the typical preservative for water samples analyzed for VOCs by EPA Method 8260?

    Answer: Hydrochloric acid to pH below 2 and cooling

    HCl acidification slows biodegradation of aromatic VOCs, and cooling to 6°C or below extends the holding time to 14 days.

  7. Rock Quality Designation (RQD) is calculated using which core pieces?

    Answer: Only intact core pieces 4 inches (10 cm) or longer, as a percent of the run length

    RQD sums sound core pieces at least 10 cm long and divides by the total core run length.

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