Sample Bottles
Bottle Types, Minimum Sample, Size And Preservation Requirements
Radiochemical Analysis
White soil pots for soil/solids: |
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| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| Gross alpha/beta |
10g |
| Gamma spectrometry |
200g |
| Calcium-45 |
2g |
| Iodine-129 |
10g |
| Iron-55 |
2g |
| Nickel-63 |
2g |
| Plutonium alpha |
2g |
| Plutonium-241 |
2g |
| Uranium isotopes |
2g |
| Americium, curium |
2g |
| Thorium isotopes |
2g |
| Radium-226 |
2g |
| Alpha spectrometry |
2g |
| Strontium-90 |
0.5g |
| Technetium-99 |
1g |
| Polonium-210 |
3g |
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250ml brown plastic bottle for waters/liquids: |
 |
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| Aqueous tritium |
250ml |
| Carbon-14 |
250ml |
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1 litre amber glass jar for soil/solids, amber glass bottle for waters/liquids: |
 |
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| Aqueous tritium |
250ml |
| Carbon-14 |
250ml |
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Plastic Bottles (250ml, 500ml, 2.5ltr, 5ltr) for waters/liquids: |
 |
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| Gross alpha/beta |
2 litres |
| Gamma spectrometry |
1 litre |
| Calcium-45 |
1.5 litres |
| Iodine-129 |
100 ml |
| Iron-55 |
1 litre |
| Nickel-63 |
1 litre |
| Plutonium alpha isotopes |
1 litre |
| Plutonium-241 |
1 litre |
| Uranium isotopes |
1 litre |
| Americium, curium isotopes |
1 litre |
| Thorium isotopes |
1 litre |
| Radium-226 |
1 litre |
| Alpha spectrometry |
1 litre |
| Strontium-90 |
1 litre |
| Radon-222 |
500ml |
| Technetium-99 |
1 litre |
| Polonium |
1 litre |
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NIRAS crates |
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NIRAS crates and cool boxes are supplied free of charge, but you will be charged £15 per cool box and £20 per crate if not they are not returned at time of invoicing. |
Iron-55, nickel-63, plutonium, uranium, americium, curium, thorium, radium-226, strontium and radon-222 must be acidified with 10ml of 10% nitric acid per litre of water sample if filtered on site. If not filtered on site, please do not acidify. |
Chemical Analysis
Glass bottles/jars for soil/solids and waters/liquids: |
|
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| PAH USEPA 16 |
10g/250ml |
| Phenols |
10g/500ml |
| SVOCs |
10g/500ml |
| TPH |
10g/250ml |
| TPH ali/aro split |
10g/250ml + 40ml |
| PCBs |
10g/500ml |
| Dioxins & Furans |
10g/5 litres |
| Organo pesticides |
10g/500ml |
Glass bottles/jars can be used for any samples for chemical analysis of water/
liquids as well as soil/solids if no plastic bottles are available for some analysis, but glass bottles must be used if you are sampling for analysis of any of the above.
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Plastic Bottles (250ml, 500ml, 2.5ltr, 5ltr) for waters/liquids and soil/solids: |
|
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| Ammonia |
20g/10ml |
| Chloride |
10g/10ml |
| Cyanide |
10g/50ml |
| Leachate preparation |
100g |
| Chromium Hexavalent |
20g/10ml |
| Metals |
10g/200ml |
| Sulphate (total) |
10g/50ml |
| Sulphate |
20g |
| Alkalinity |
50ml |
| Electrical conductivity |
10ml |
| Moisture content |
100g |
| Nitrate |
10g/10ml |
| Nitrite |
10g10ml |
| Fluoride |
10g/10ml |
| Organic matter |
10g |
| Phosphorous |
5g/50ml |
| Sulphur |
10g |
| Kjeldahl nitrogen |
20g/50ml |
| Suspended solids |
300ml |
| TOC |
1g/10ml |
| Tolex |
10g/100ml |
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40ml Glass vial for soil/solids and water/liquids: |
 |
| To be used for: |
Minimum required |
| BTEX MTBE GRO |
full 40ml vial |
| VOCs |
full 40ml vial |
| Hydrocarbons |
full 40ml vial |
| TPH ali/aro split |
full 40ml vial |
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The following samples, if filtered on site MUST be acidified with 10ml of 10% nitric acid per litre of water sample:
- Chromium Hexavalent
- Metals
The following samples should be kept in the coolest conditions possible:
- BTEX MBTE GRO
- VOCs
- Halogenated hydrocarbons
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Notes for sampling for chemical analysis
- Please be aware that for chemical analysis, samples should be provided in an approved form and container. The laboratory
will not be liable for inability to complete testing due to inadequate suitable samples.
- It is advisable to send more than the minimum required amount of sample in order to allow for contingencies.
- It is intended that sample preparation will be performed by SAL Ltd, where appropriate by air-drying the sample. However,
if the samples received contain significant quantities of rubble, large pebbles or stones this fraction may have to be
excluded from analysis (% fraction removed will be reported) and drying and grinding will be performed by NIRAS. Sample
preparation prices are included for this process if it is deemed necessary on receipt.
