Regional and State Needs in Sampling and Analytical Methodology

Sampling and analytical methods for chemical and biological analyses of sediments, sludges, dredge spoils, and soils samples are available in a number of publications (which will be described). There are also draft and interim Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents in wide use. There are needs for new methods to deal with such areas as long-term monitoring of Superfund remedial actions sites and body-contact toxicity testing at hazardous waste sites. Greater needs exist for: (1) standardization to insure that data for a particular environmental monitoring program will be comparable throughout the country; (2) consolidation of methodology across media/EPA program lines, for example, for water quality and hazardous waste investigation; (3) guidance on sample preservation methodology; (4) validation of existing methodology for organic compounds other than those on the priority pollutant list or the hazardous substance (RCRA Appendix VIII) list; and (5) reducing lag time to update or develop new methodology to accompany changing or new environmental regulations.