Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:1850:p22
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1850 (pt 22/117)
Character Range: 407162–410175

wells) and test pits should be logged in accordance with AS 1726-1993 and the presence of strata, moisture, seeps or water-bearing zones, elevation of the water level/hydraulic head, imported fill and odorous or stained materials carefully noted. These logs are essential for interpretation of chemical data to establish the extent of contamination and to assist in the design of more detailed investigations. Example logs are included in Appendix D.

A photographic record that is well labelled for date, location and orientation is a valuable reference tool for documenting procedures and for understanding soil/aquifer heterogeneity and variability in laboratory results. Photographs are recommended to be taken of the strata present in test pits and soil cores and the appearance of split samples, particularly to illustrate visible heterogeneity in the field.

Field checklists to aid documentation of essential information are available for download from the EPHC website at www.ephc.gov.au.

7.4              Field testing
A variety of field screening techniques may be used to provide immediate (real-time) information about the concentration and distribution of contaminants on contaminated sites. These tests, by their very nature, are less rigorous and reliable than analytical tests conducted in a laboratory, however, they provide cheaper and quicker results to guide the design of further sampling strategies for site assessment.

The most commonly used field tests include:
    * gas detector tubes
    * colorimetric test kits
    * headspace testing using PIDs and FIDs
    * field portable x-ray fluorescence spectrum analysers
    * field gas chromatography
    * immunoassay test kits.
These techniques can be used to gain a general understanding of the field conditions and the presence of possible contamination and may assist in the selection of samples for laboratory analysis. PID measurements, for example, may be useful as a field guide to indicate areas of volatile compounds. However, their role in providing real-time data needs to be augmented by laboratory chemical analysis.

Their use as the sole source of analytical data in the assessment of potentially contaminated sites is inappropriate as they may give falsely high or low results. For example, naphthalene is commonly reported in petroleum hydrocarbon-impacted soils and will evoke a response from a PID, in contrast to benzo(a)pyrene (a more significant PAH in terms of human health), which will not be detected by a PID. As these measurements do not always correlate well with laboratory results they are generally not suitable for validation sampling.

Prior to use of any field monitoring equipment there should be:
    * a determination that they are capable of detecting relevant contaminants
    * adequate understanding of the methods of use for the particular instrument, its limitations and site conditions that may affect the results
    * appropriate calibration (and recording of the calibration data) for the