On-site soil processing

Soil sampling procedure

Figure 3. Soil sample preparation for analysis

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(stainless steel auger)

Figure 2. Sampling scheme (TNT concentrations shown are from

sampling location 1).

num pie pans and further disaggregated by hand

On-site soil processing

until approximately pea sized or smaller pieces

Discrete samples

were produced. For soil from sampling location

Soil samples from the Monite site and Haw-

7, rocks greater than 0.5 cm were removed and

thorne AAP were dry and mostly consisted of a

weighed. Soils were then coned and quartered

mixture of sands and gravels. These samples were

and further processed as described above.

processed as follows. Soils were emptied from the

zip lock bags into 23-cm-diameter aluminum pie

Composite samples

pans. We dispersed the material by breaking up

For composite samples at the Monite site and

the large clumps with gloved hands and remov-

Hawthorne AAP, the soil remaining after discrete

ing large rocks. The pans were covered with a

samples were removed for each of the seven grab

second pie pan and the soil was swirled and

samples within a wheel was combined in a large

shaken vigorously to disperse and homogenize

aluminum roasting pan. While the portions used

the material, which was then coned and quar-

to make the composite were not individually

tered. Approximately 5-g subsamples were re-

weighed for Monite and Hawthorne, they were

moved from each quarter and combined to pro-

approximately equal in weight. The soil was ho-

duce a sample of about 20-g for colorimetric on-site

mogenized by hand mixing. Clumps were reduced

analysis. The bulk sample was remixed, coned

by hand crushing and the material was coned

and quartered again and a duplicate 20-g sample

and quartered. Approximately 5-g samples were

for field analysis was removed as described above.

removed from each quarter and combined to pro-

The sample was remixed a third time and another

duce a 20-g sample for field analysis. The soil was

20-g sample removed and placed in an amber 40-

coned, quartered and sampled six more times to

mL glass vial for subsequent laboratory analysis.

produce a total of seven replicates for field analy-

The remaining sample was returned to its origi-

sis. The soil was dispersed, coned and quartered

nal zip lock bag and saved for preparation of a

one final time and a 50-g sample removed and

composite sample for that sampling location.

placed in an amber glass bottle for subsequent

Soils from Volunteer had a higher moisture

laboratory analysis.

content and were composed of a higher percent-

At Volunteer, a similar procedure was used

age of finer grained material than soils from ei-

except that equal weights of each individual

ther Monite or Hawthorne. This made field ho-

sample (100 or 600 g each, depending on wheel

mogenization more difficult and time consuming.

location) were used to prepare composites. Oth-

At Volunteer, soil samples were placed in zip lock

erwise samples were processed as above. A sum-

bags and initially kneaded by hand to break up

mary of the entire sampling design is shown in

large clumps. They were then deposited in alumi-

Western Governors University

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