Methods for Collection and Analysis of Water Samples

Methods For Collection And Analysis Of Water Samples by Frank Hays Rainwater and L. L. Thatcher is a comprehensive manual detailing procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey to collect, preserve, and analyze water samples. The work covers sampling-site selection, sampling frequency, field equipment, preservatives and fixatives, and analytical techniques for water analysis, with an emphasis on obtaining results that accurately describe the chemical composition of water in situ. It presents seventy-seven laboratory and field procedures for determining fifty-three water properties, spanning acidity, alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, major and trace metals, nutrients, gases, turbidity, and organic constituents. The volume discusses data collection, quality control, tabulation, and reporting standards, and it situates methods within a framework of uniform procedures for surface and groundwater investigations. Serving as both a practical field guide and a reference for chemists and hydrologists, the manual reflects a longstanding government effort to standardize water-quality analysis across diverse aquatic environments.