SAMPLE PRESERVATION

By : Dr Habibullah Abbasi
Assistant Professor
Center for Environmental Science, UoS.
 MEANING AND NEED OF
PRESERVATION
 Preservation is the process to maintain original properties of water samples.
Sample preservation is the measure or measures taken to prevent reduction
or loss of target analytes.
Analyte loss can occur between sample collection and laboratory analysis
because of physical, chemical, and biological processes that result in chemical
precipitation, adsorption, oxidation, reduction, ion exchange, degassing, or
degradation.
 Preservation stabilizes analyte concentrations for a limited period of time.
Some
samples have a very short holding time.
 PRESERVATION
CONTAINER
 Containers are of mainly two types:-

1. Plastic Container:-
Bottles and lid linings are made of the
following plastics: high- or low-density
polyethylene, polypropylene,
polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or Teflon
1. Glass Container
 PRESERVATION
METHODS
 Preservation methods for chemical parameters (on-site analysis):-
Preservation methods for microbiological and chemical parameters
(laboratory analysis)
 METHOD OF
PRESERVATION
• Chemical
Addition
• pH control
• Refrigeration
• Freezing
 CHEMICAL
ADDITION
• The most convenient preservative is a chemical which can be added to a
sample bottle prior to sampling.
• When the sample is added, ·the preservative disperses immediately,
stabilizing the parameter(s) of concern for long periods of time
• When the preservative added interferes with other parameters being
measured, additional samples for those parameters must be collected.
• For example, concentrated nitric acid added for the preservation of some of
the metals would interfere with BOD, so an additional sample must be
collected for BOD.
 PH CONTROL
• pH control to preserve the sample is dependent upon chemical addition.
• For example:-
to keep metal ions in a dissolved state concentrated nitric acid is added to
lower the pH to less than 2.
 FREEZING
• Freezing has been the subject of many preservation studies.
• It is felt by some that freezing would be a method for increasing the
holding time and allowing collection of a single sample for all analysis
• The residue solids components (filterable and nonfilterable) of the
sample
change with freezing and thawing.
• Return to equilibrium and then high speed homogenization is
necessary before any analysis can be run
• This method may be acceptable for certain analysis but not as a
general
preservation method.
 REFRIGERATION
• Refrigeration or 1c1ng has also been studied with various results.
• This is a common method used in field work and has no detrimental
effect on sample composition.
• Although it does not maintain integrity for all parameters, it does not
interfere with any analytical methods.
 PRESERVATION METHODS FOR
CHEMICAL PARAMETERS (ON-SITE
ANALYSIS)
Time between
Recommende
Parameter Preservative* Container* sample
d volume
collection and
(ml)
analysis
Alkalinity N P or G 10 30 minutes
Hardness N P or G 10 30 minutes
Total residual bromine N P or G 10 30 minutes
Chloramines N P or G 10 30 minutes
Free residual chlorine N P or G 10 30 minutes
Total residual chlorine N P or G 10 30 minutes
pH N P or G 10 2 Hours
Water Temperature N P or G 125 3 minutes
 PRESERVATION METHODS FOR MICROBIOLOGICAL
AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS (LABORATORY
ANALYSIS) Recommended
Time between
Parameter Preservative* Container* sample
volume (ml)
collection and
MICROBIOLOGY analysis

Escherichia ST PPS or 100 48

coli
Pseudomona 3 GS hours
ST PPS or 100 48
s
3 GS hours
aeruginosa
Staphylococcu
ST3 PPS or GS 100 48
s aureus
hours
Fecal coliforms ST3 PPS or GS 100 48 hours
CHEMISTRY
Turbidity N/A P or G 125 48 hours