Sampling System (sampling + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Grass-Shrub Riparian Buffer Removal of Sediment, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen From Simulated Runoff,

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2007
Kyle R. Mankin
Abstract:, Riparian buffer forests and vegetative filter strips are widely recommended for improving surface water quality, but grass-shrub riparian buffer system (RBSs) are less well studied. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of buffer width and vegetation type on the key processes and overall reductions of total suspended solids (TSS), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N) from simulated runoff passed through established (7-year old) RBSs. Nine 1-m RBS plots, with three replicates of three vegetation types (all natural selection grasses, two-segment buffer with native grasses and plum shrub, and two-segment buffer with natural selection grasses and plum shrub) and widths ranging from 8.3 to 16.1 m, received simulated runoff having 4,433 mg/l TSS from on-site soil, 1.6 mg/l total P, and 20 mg/l total N. Flow-weighted samples were collected by using Runoff Sampling System (ROSS) units. The buffers were very efficient in removal of sediments, N, and P, with removal efficiencies strongly linked to infiltration. Mass and concentration reductions averaged 99.7% and 97.9% for TSS, 91.8% and 42.9% for total P, and 92.1% and 44.4% for total N. Infiltration alone could account for >75% of TSS removal, >90% of total P removal, and >90% of total N removal. Vegetation type induced significant differences in removal of TSS, total P, and total N. These results demonstrate that adequately designed and implemented grass-shrub buffers with widths of only 8 m provide for water quality improvement, particularly if adequate infiltration is achieved. [source]


Sampling systems for isotope-ratio mass spectrometry of atmospheric ammonia

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 2 2006
Richard Skinner
Passive and active ammonia (NH3) sampling devices have been tested for their nitrogen (N) capture potential and ,15N fractionation effects. Several sampling techniques produced significantly different ,15NH3 signals when sampling the same NH3 source released from field site fumigation campaigns. Conventional passive NH3 -monitoring systems have shown to provide insufficient N for isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and various modified devices have been developed, based on existing diffusion tube designs, to overcome this problem. The final sampler design was then tested in a wind tunnel to verify that sampling NH3 in different environmental conditions did not significantly fractionate the ,15N signal. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Isocyanates, aminoisocyanates and amines from fires,a screening of common materials found in buildings

FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 6 2003
Per Blomqvist
Abstract Isocyanates, aminoisocyanates and amines were quantified from the combustion of 24 different materials or products typically found in buildings. Small-scale combustion experiments were conducted in the cone calorimeter, where generally well-ventilated combustion conditions are attained. Measurements were further made in two different full-scale experiments. Isocyanates and amino-compounds were sampled using an impinger-filter sampling system with a reagent solution of di-n-butylamine in toluene. Filter and impinger solution were analysed separately using LC-MS technique. Further the particulate distribution in the smoke gases was determined by impactor technique, and selected gaseous compounds quantified by FTIR. It was found in the small-scale that isocyanates were produced from the majority of the materials tested. The highest concentration was found for glass wool insulation, and further high concentrations were found for PUR products, particleboard, nitrile rubber and melamine. Lower concentrations were found for wood and cable-products. Amino-isocyanates and amines were generally found from PUR products only. The distribution of isocyanates between the particulate- and fluid phases varied for the different materials and a tendency to enrichment of particles was seen for some of the materials. Further, when comparing the potential health hazard between isocyanates and other major fire gases (based on NIOSH IDLH-values) it was found that isocyanates in several cases represented the greatest hazard. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Macro- and Micro-Purge Soil-Gas Sampling Methods for the Collection of Contaminant Vapors

GROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 1 2009
Brian A. Schumacher
Purging influence on soil-gas concentrations for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as affected by sampling tube inner diameter and sampling depth (i.e., system volume) for temporary probes in fine-grained soils, was evaluated at three different field sites. A macro-purge sampling system consisted of a standard, hollow, 3.2-cm outer diameter (OD) drive probe with a retractable sampling point attached to an appropriate length of 0.48-cm inner diameter (ID) Teflon® tubing. The macro-purge sampling system had a purge system volume of 24.5 mL at a 1-m depth. In contrast, the micro-purge sampling systems were slightly different between the field sites and consisted of a 1.27-cm OD drive rod with a 0.10-cm ID stainless steel tube or a 3.2-cm OD drive rod with a 0.0254-cm inner diameter stainless steel tubing resulting in purge system volumes of 1.2 and 7.05 mL at 1-m depths, respectively. At each site and location within the site, with a few exceptions, the same contaminants were identified in the same relative order of abundances indicating the sampling of the same general soil atmosphere. However, marked differences in VOC concentrations were identified between the sampling systems, with micro-purge samples having up to 27 times greater concentrations than their corresponding macro-purge samples. The higher concentrations are the result of a minimal disturbance of the ambient soil atmosphere during purging. The minimal soil-gas atmospheric disturbance of the micro-purge sampling system allowed for the collection of a sample that is more representative of the soil atmosphere surrounding the sampling point. That is, a sample that does not contain an atmosphere that has migrated from distance through the geologic material or from the surface in response to the vacuum induced during purging soil-gas concentrations. It is thus recommended that when soil-gas sampling is conducted using temporary probes in fine-grained soils, the sampling system use the smallest practical ID soil-gas tubing and minimize purge volume to obtain the soil-gas sample with minimal risk of leakage so that proper decisions, based on more representative soil-gas concentrations, about the site can be made. [source]


Spatial distribution of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), vine mealybugs and mealybug parasitoids in vineyards

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
N. Mgocheki
Abstract The mutualistic association between some ant species and honeydew-producing Hemiptera has been shown to influence the distribution patterns and abundance of these hemipterans and their natural enemies. We studied the spatial distribution patterns of three ant species, mealybugs and mealybug parasitoids for two consecutive growing seasons on three wine grape farms in the Western Cape, South Africa. During the study period, no ant or mealybug controls were applied. Ant and mealybug monitoring was conducted on a total of 21 ha using a presence/absence sampling system, while parasitoids were collected from infested mealybug females. Spatial analysis by distance indices was used to analyse spatial distribution of insects and ArcViewÔ was used to map the gap, patch and local association indices where significant association and disassociation occurred. Significant associations were found between some ants and parasitoids, while significant disassociations between the ants Crematogaster peringueyi and Linepithema humile; and also between Crematogaster peringueyi and Anoplolepis steingroeveri were found. Interspecific competition between ant species could play a role in the distribution of parasitoids and mealybugs. Our results stress the importance of monitoring for ants and mealybugs and further highlight the importance of restricted chemical applications against ants during the growing season. [source]


Frass sampling and baiting indicate European earwig (Forficula auricularia) foraging in orchards

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
D. M. Suckling
Abstract:, Earwigs are significant generalist predators of a range of orchard pests, but quantitative assessment of earwig density and beneficial impact is difficult. A sampling system was designed and tested, based on field placement of polycarbonate tubes in apple trees as scotophase arboreal refugia. Tubes containing artificial diet and provided with a black plastic sleeve had the highest earwig counts. Tubes with diet or the black sleeve alone were less preferred. Presence of distinctive frass was also evident in polycarbonate tubes containing artificial diet, and earwig frass was recorded at a higher frequency than earwig presence, indicating foraging and detection of the tubes at a higher rate than their use as shelters. At the tree level, there was a weak correlation between frass abundance and predation rates on leafroller egg batches placed as baits in the canopy, but not with earwig density measured by corrugated cardboard rolls or diet tubes. Diet tubes have the potential to offer new insights into earwig foraging behaviour in orchards. [source]


Landscape monitoring of semi-arid rangelands in the Kenyan Rift Valley

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
A. D. Q. Agnew
A sampling system was devised and used from 1992 to 1996 in annual grassland and open woodland of the south-west Kenyan Rift Valley. The monitoring was designed to detect vegetation changes consequent on the attempted removal of the tsetse vectors of trypanosomiasis in cattle during a simultaneous trapping programme. The sampled sites covered most vegetation-landscape types, and have led to a better understanding of processes within some. Although fluctuations in pastoralist use and occupancy have been observed, no change in vegetation can be attributed to increased grazing or browsing. Although there is high climatic variability some vegetation types seemed stable over the period studied, and some trends appear to be predictable. Resume On a conçu un système d'échantillonnage qui fut utilisé de 1992 à 1996 dans les prairies annuelles et dans les forêts ouvertes du sud-ouest de la Rift Valley, au Kenya. La surveillance était conçue de façon à détecter les changements de végétation qui résultaient des tentatives d'éradication des mouches tsé-tsé, vecteurs de la trypanosomiase chez le bétail, au cours d'un programme de piégeage. Les sites d'échantillonnages couvraient des paysages correspondant à la plupart des types de végétation et ont conduit à une meilleure compréhension du processus dans certains d'entre eux. Bien qu'on ait observé des fluctuations dans l'occupation et l'utilisation pastorales, on ne peut attribuer aucun changement de végétation à une augmentation du pâturage. Bien que le climat soit très variable, certains types de végétations semblent être restés stables pendant la durée de l'étude et l'on semble pouvoir prédire certaines tendances. [source]


Continuous shipboard sampling system for determination of triple oxygen isotopes and O2/Ar ratio by dual-inlet mass spectrometry

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 23 2006
V. V. S. S. Sarma
A continuous shipboard sampling system was developed for the determination of the isotopic composition of the triple oxygen isotopes and oxygen to argon (O2/Ar) ratios in dissolved air. In this system, dissolved air is separated by a hollow fiber membrane degassing module. This system collects dissolved air quantitatively and rapidly. The sample flow rate through the membrane is critical for the fractionation of the oxygen isotopes and the O2/Ar ratio and should be <2 mL/min. Fractionation of oxygen between the liquid and gas phase of the air-saturated water was found to be similar to that of earlier reports. The advantages of this method over existing techniques include rapid collection of samples (30 min/sample), high efficiency in extraction of gases from the liquid phase, and the lack of a sample preparation step (e.g. degassing). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Cell culture monitoring via an auto-sampler and an integrated multi-functional off-line analyzer

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 1 2010
Gayle E. Derfus
Abstract Mammalian cell-based bioprocesses are used extensively for production of therapeutic proteins. Off-line monitoring of such cultivations via manual sampling is often labor-intensive and can introduce operator-dependent error into the process. An integrated multi-functional off-line analyzer, the BioProfile FLEX (NOVA Biomedical, Waltham MA) has been developed, which combines the functionality of three off-line analyzers (a cell counter, an osmometer, and a gas/electrolyte & nutrient/metabolite bio-profile analyzer) into one device. In addition, a novel automated sampling system has also been developed that allows the BioProfile FLEX to automatically analyze the culture conditions in as many as ten bioreactors. This is the first report on the development and function of this integrated analyzer and an auto-sampler prototype for monitoring of mammalian cell cultures. Evaluation of the BioProfile FLEX was conducted in two separate laboratories and involved two BioProfile FLEX analyzers and two sets of reference analyzers (Nova BioProfile 400, Beckman-Coulter Vi-Cell AS, and Advanced Instruments Osmometer 3900), 13 CHO cell lines and over 20 operators. In general, BioProfile FLEX measurements were equivalent to those obtained using reference analyzers, and the auto-sampler did not alter the samples it provided to the BioProfile FLEX. These results suggest that the system has the potential to dramatically reduce the manual labor involved in monitoring mammalian cell bioprocesses without altering the quality of the data obtained, and integration with a bioreactor control system will allow feedback control of parameters previously available only for off-line monitoring. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source]


A Modular Injection System, Multilevel Sampler, and Manifold for Tracer Tests

GROUND WATER, Issue 6 2003
Brian J. Mailloux
Ground water injection and sampling systems were developed for bacterial transport experiments in both homogenous and heterogeneous unconsolidated, surficial aquifers. Two types of injection systems, a large single tank and a dynamic mixing tank, were designed to deliver more than 800 L of amended ground water to the aquifer over 12 hours, without altering the ground water temperature, pH, Eh, or dissolved gas composition. Two types of multilevel samplers (MLSs) were designed and installed. Permanent MLSs performed well for the homogenous surficial aquifer, but their installation procedure promoted vertical mixing, which could obfuscate experimental data obtained from vertically stratified, heterogeneous aquifers. A novel, removable MLS was designed to fit in 2- and 4-inch wells. Expandable O-rings between each sampling port hydraulically isolated each port for sample collection when a nut was tightened at the land surface. A low-cost vacuum manifold system designed to work with both MLS designs used 50 mL centrifuge tubes to efficiently sample 12 MLS ports with one peristaltic pump head. The integrated system was developed and used during four field campaigns over a period of three years. During each campaign, more than 3000 ground water samples were collected in less than one week. This system should prove particularly useful for ground water tracer, injection, and push-pull experiments that require high-frequency and/or high-density sampling. [source]


Macro- and Micro-Purge Soil-Gas Sampling Methods for the Collection of Contaminant Vapors

GROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 1 2009
Brian A. Schumacher
Purging influence on soil-gas concentrations for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as affected by sampling tube inner diameter and sampling depth (i.e., system volume) for temporary probes in fine-grained soils, was evaluated at three different field sites. A macro-purge sampling system consisted of a standard, hollow, 3.2-cm outer diameter (OD) drive probe with a retractable sampling point attached to an appropriate length of 0.48-cm inner diameter (ID) Teflon® tubing. The macro-purge sampling system had a purge system volume of 24.5 mL at a 1-m depth. In contrast, the micro-purge sampling systems were slightly different between the field sites and consisted of a 1.27-cm OD drive rod with a 0.10-cm ID stainless steel tube or a 3.2-cm OD drive rod with a 0.0254-cm inner diameter stainless steel tubing resulting in purge system volumes of 1.2 and 7.05 mL at 1-m depths, respectively. At each site and location within the site, with a few exceptions, the same contaminants were identified in the same relative order of abundances indicating the sampling of the same general soil atmosphere. However, marked differences in VOC concentrations were identified between the sampling systems, with micro-purge samples having up to 27 times greater concentrations than their corresponding macro-purge samples. The higher concentrations are the result of a minimal disturbance of the ambient soil atmosphere during purging. The minimal soil-gas atmospheric disturbance of the micro-purge sampling system allowed for the collection of a sample that is more representative of the soil atmosphere surrounding the sampling point. That is, a sample that does not contain an atmosphere that has migrated from distance through the geologic material or from the surface in response to the vacuum induced during purging soil-gas concentrations. It is thus recommended that when soil-gas sampling is conducted using temporary probes in fine-grained soils, the sampling system use the smallest practical ID soil-gas tubing and minimize purge volume to obtain the soil-gas sample with minimal risk of leakage so that proper decisions, based on more representative soil-gas concentrations, about the site can be made. [source]