Soil pollution is a major national concern. Under increasingly stringent quality control systems, the quality of sample collection directly impacts the accuracy and precision of subsequent experimental data. Therefore, selecting appropriate sample storage containers and conditions is crucial.
Below is a brief discussion of storage containers and conditions for common soil sample items.
Mercury: Use ground glass bottles, store below 4°C, shelf life is 28 days.
Hexavalent Chromium: Use polyethylene bags, store below 4°C, original sample shelf life is 24 hours, prepared sample shelf life is 30 days.
Heavy Metals (excluding mercury and hexavalent chromium, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel, zinc, arsenic): Use polyethylene bags, store below 4°C, shelf life is 180 days.
Cyanide: Use polyethylene bags, store below 4°C, shelf life is 48 hours.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Use purge bottles with added methanol stabilizer, store below 4°C, shelf life is 7 days. Semi-volatile organic compounds. Store in brown, capped glass bottles at below 4°C for up to 10 days.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Store in brown, capped glass bottles at below 4°C for up to 10 days.
Petroleum hydrocarbons. Store in brown, capped glass bottles at below 4°C for up to 14 days before extraction and up to 40 days after extraction.