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Minimum Volumes and Recommended Preservation
for Samples

Soils
Water
Hydroponic Solution
Plant Tissue
Structural Soil
Soil to AS4419 Guidelines

Potting Mix to AS3743 Guidelines
Composts, Soil Conditioners & Mulches to AS4454 Guidelines
Biosolids
Biomass
Stock Feeds
Fertiliser

SOILS

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
ABCC	P	500 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
ANC	P	100 g
AR	P	250 g
Asbestos	P	100 g	Airtight, Clearly labelled as potential hazard
ASS Screen	P	100 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
BD-4419	P	1.5 L
BD-USGA	P	500 ml
BP	P	500 g
BTEX+C6-C9	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
Carbon – Leco	P	100 g
CBR%	P	12 kg
Chloride	P/G	100 g	Air dry or Field moist
Colour	P	250 g
Conductivity (EC)	P/G	100 g	Air dry or Field moist
Corrosion & Scaling	P	1.5 L	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Cracking	P	200 g
Crushing	P	200g
Crusting	P	200g
Cyanides	P/G	250 g	Field moist
DCIR	P	500 g
Disp%	P	300 g
Disp-4419	P	50 g
EAT	P	50 g	In tact soil aggregates required
ECEC	P	100 g
eCEC	P	100 g
ESP	P	100 g
FC/PWP	P	500 ml
Fluoride	P	250 g	Air dry or Field moist
Gly-S	P	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
HC@1pt	P	500 ml
HCCC	P	500 ml
Herbicides/Pesticides	G	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Hexavalent Cr	P/G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
LAAT	P	1 kg
Moisture Content	P/G	200 g	Airtight
mEAT	P	100 g
Metals	P/G	250 g
Microbiology	P	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
MRC	P	500 ml
NAGC	P/G	100 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Sodium Sulphate Soundness	P	20 kg
NSW Bio	G	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
NSW Site	G	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Nutrient Testing	P/G	300 g
OC/OP	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
OM-LC	P	100 g
OM-WB	P	100 g
PAH	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
Pathology	P	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
PCB	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
PD	P	100 g
PDIST	P	200 ml
Perm-4419	P	1 L
Perm Lab	P	Full core	Airtight
Perm-USGA	P/G	1 L
pH EC	P/G	100 g	Air dry or Field moist
Phenols	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
PRI	P	50 g
PS	P	250 g
PSA-H	P	300 g
PSA-S	P	300 g
PSA-SH	P	300 g
PSI	P/G	100 g
PSI Curve	P/G	200 g
R:S Ratio	P/G	20 kg
Resistivity	P/G	500 ml	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Sportsturf Testing	P	2 kg
Sulphur-Total	P/G	100 g
sPOCAS	G	200 g	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
SVOC	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
Structure	P	100 g
TCLP	G	250 g	As per analyte of interest
Texture	P	300 g
TKN	P/G	100 g
TN	P	100 g
TPH (C6-9)	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
TPH (C10-36)	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
VOC’s	G	250 g	Cool to 4°C
WBD	P	300 g	Intact clods of soil
WHC@1pt	P	500 ml
WHC-M	P	500 ml
WHC-T	P	500 ml

Comments:
• * Semi-volatiles – 7 days till extraction, 40 days after extraction.

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WATER

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Algae Count	Plastic	500 ml	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Alkalinity / Acidity	Plastic	200 ml	Cool to 4°C
AOX	G	1000 ml	pH <2 (HNO₃) + Cool to 4°C + Dark
Asbestos	Plastic	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C, Clearly labelled as potential hazard
BOD	Plastic	500 ml	Cool to 4°C
Boron	Plastic	50 ml	Nil, no headspace
BTEX+C6-C9	Vial	2 x 40ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄ or HCl) + Cool to 4°C
CaCO3 SI	Plastic	100 ml	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Carbon-TOC/DOC	Plastic	50 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄ or HCl) + Cool to 4°C
Carbon-TOC/DOC	Plastic	50 ml	Cool to 4°C + Dark
Chloride	P/G	100 ml	Nil
COD	P/G	100 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄) + Cool to 4°C
Colour	P/G	100 ml	Cool to 4°C + Dark
Conductivity	P/G	100 ml	Cool to 4°C
Corrosion & Scaling	P/G	1 L	Cool to 4°C
Cyanides	P/G	200 ml	pH (>12 NaOH) + Cool to 4°C + Dark
Fluoride	P	100 ml	Nil
Gly-W	G	200 ml	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Hardness	P	100 ml	pH <2 (HNO₃)
Herbicides/Pesticides	G	200 ml	Cool to 4°C & Airtight
Hexavalent Cr	P/G	200 ml	Cool to 4°C
Micro (in natural)	P	200 ml	Cool to 4°C
Micro (in tap)	P	200ml	Cool to 4°C + Sodium Thiosulphate
Metals	P/G	100 ml	pH <2 (HNO₃)
Mercury	P/G	100 ml	pH <2 (HNO₃)
N – Ammonia	P/G	100 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄) + Cool to 4°C
N – Ammonia	P/G	100 ml	Filter on site & cool / filter on site & freeze
N – Nitrate	P/G	100 ml	Cool to 4°C
N – Nitrate	P/G	100 ml	Filter on site & freeze
N – Nitrite	P/G	100 ml	Cool to 4°C
N – TKN	P/G	500 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄) + Cool to 4°C
N – Total	P/G	500 ml	Freeze
Nutrient Testing		200 ml	Cool to 4°C if testing NO3
OC/OP Pesticides *	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
Oil & Grease (TOG)	G	1000 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄ or HCl) + Cool to 4°C
PCB *	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
pH	P/G	100 ml	Cool to 4°C
Phenols – species	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
Phenols - total	P/G	500 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄) + Cool to 4°C
Phenoxy Herbs	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
Phosphorus - T	P/G	100 ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄) + Cool to 4°C
Phosphorus - T	P/G	100 ml	Freeze
Phosphate	P/G	100 ml	Filter & Cool to 4°C
Phosphate	P/G	100 ml	Filter & Freeze
PAH	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
SAR	P/G	100 ml
Sulphide (total)	P/G	100 ml	Cool + add 4 drops 2N Zn acetate/100ml
Sulphide (diss)	P	100 ml	Filter & add 10ml Cu 2,4 DMP
SVOC	G	1000 ml	Cool to 4°C
TSS	P/G	500 ml	Cool to 4°C
TDSa
TDSo	P/G	500 ml	Cool to 4°C
TPH (C10-36)	G	500 ml	Cool to 4°C
TPH (C6-9)	Vial	2 x 40ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄ or HCl) + Cool to 4°C
TSS		100 ml	Requires testing wthin 24 hrs
Turbidity	P/G	100 ml	Store in Dark
VOC	Vial	2 x 40ml	pH <2 (H₂SO₄ or HCl) + Cool to 4°C

Comments:

* Semi-volatiles – 7 days till extraction, 40 days after extraction.
* TPH (C10-C36) – no reference, treat as a semi-volatile.
For dissolved metals (such as groundwaters) samples should be 0.45µm filtered into a HNO3 preserved bottle.
For dissolved metals that are not field filtered and acidified, samples will be filtered on receipt from an unpreserved sample container then acidify. There will be a filtration charge and some elements may be affected by this process.
For total recoverable metals (such as surface waters) samples should be placed unfiltered into a HNO3 preserved bottle.
For total recoverable metals that are not field preserved, will be sub sampled from the unpreserved bottle on receipt and acidify with HNO3. Sample will stand overnight before analysis can begin.

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HYDROPONIC SOLUTION

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Nutrient Testing	P/G	200 ml	Cool to 4°C if testing NO3

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PLANT TISSUE

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Herbicides/Pesticides	Paper	200 g	Fresh, Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
Nutrient Testing	Paper	100 g	Fresh (unwilted) in paper bag Cool to 4^oC
Petioles	Paper	-	Minimum of 150 leaves fresh (unwilted) Cool to 4^oC

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STRUCTURAL SOIL

Test	Container	Volume
Rock Analysis package	P	30 kg
Initial Filler Mix Design Analysis	P	500 g
Final Mix Design & Quality Control Analysis	P	15 kg
Rock: Soil method including total pore space, bulk density and min. & max. particle size	P	10 kg
Sodium Sulphate Soundness	P	20 kg
Californian Bearing Ratio %	P	12 kg

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SOIL TO AS 4419 GUIDELINES

Test	Container	Volume
AS 4419 (no PP)	Plastic	6 L
BD-4419	P	1.5 L
Disp-4419	P	100 ml
LP-4419	P	800 ml
Metals	P	250 ml
NDI-4419	P	1.5 L
OC/PCB	G	25 ml
OM-LOI	P	100 ml
Perm-4419	P	1 L
pH EC	P	100 ml
PP-4419	P	40 L
PSA-TD	P	1 L
Text	P	100 ml
Tox-4419	P	1 L
Wett-4419	P	1 L

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POTTING MIX TO AS 3743 GUIDELINES

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
AFP-3743	P	500 ml	Airtight
AFP/WHC-3743	P	3 L	Airtight
B-3743	P	200 ml	Airtight
Full Std Testing	P	5 L	Airtight
NDI-3743	P	2.5 L	Airtight
Nutrient Testing	P	800 ml	Airtight
pH EC	P	400 ml	Airtight
Tox-3743	P	800 ml	Airtight
Wett-3743	P	600 ml	Airtight

Comments:

All samples requiring AS 3743 NDI testing should be clearly labelled with date of manufacture (DOM).

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COMPOSTS, SOIL CONDITIONERS & MULCHES TO AS 4454 GUIDELINES

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
AS 4454 (no OC/PCB)	P	6 L
Full Std Testing	P G	6 L 1 L	Cool to 4^oC
LV-4454	P	100 ml
Metals	P	250 ml
MC-4454	P	500 ml
OC/PCB	G	1 L	Cool to 4°C
OM-LOI	P	300 ml
PSG-4454	P	1.5 L
Tox-4454	P	1 L
VC-4454	P	1.5 L
Wett-4454	P	500 ml

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BIOSOLIDS

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Biosolids metals	P	200 ml
Biosolids Contaminants Grading	G	400 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
Biosolids Stability Grading	G	300 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
Biosolids Nutrients	P	300 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
MC-4454	P	500 ml
Metals	P/G	250 ml
Microbiological	P/G	200 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
OC	G	250 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
OP	G	250 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
P-T	P	100 ml
PCB	G	250 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
TN	P	100 ml

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BIOMASS

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Asbestos	P	100 ml	Airtight, Clearly labelled as potential hazard
Biomass metals	P	250 ml
Biomass Organic Contaminants	G	300 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
Biomass Fuel Analysis	P	500 ml
Biomass Fuel – Organic Contaminants	G	500 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
C-value	P	100 ml
Cl-Total	P	100 ml
F-Total	P	100 ml
MC-4454	P	500 ml	Airtight
OM-LOI	P	300 ml
Metals	P	250 ml
OC	G	250 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
OP	G	250 ml	Cool to 4^oC & Airtight

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STOCK FEED

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Herbicides/Pesticides	Paper	200 g	Fresh, Cool to 4^oC & Airtight
Mineral Analysis (FF)	Paper	100 g	Fresh (unwilted) in paper bag Cool to 4^oC
Stock Feed Analysis	Paper	200-500 g	Fresh (unwilted) Cool to 4^oC

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FERTILISER

Test	Container	Volume	Preservation
Fertiliser Analysis	P/G	1 kg
BD-4419	P	1.5 L
Moisture Content	P/G	200 g	Airtight
Particle Grading-F	P	500 g

Legend:

P = Plastic containers
G = Glass containers

The above preservation techniques have been chosen by SESL as suitable for most situations.

Minimum Volumes and Recommended Preservation for Samples