The chemical analysis of sediments, collected from such locations as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans can provide information of environmental significance.

Sediment samples are inherently heterogeneous in that they contain occluded water in varying and unpredictable amounts and may contain foreign objects or material not ordinarily considered as sediment, the inclusion of which would result in inaccurate analysis.

Standard methods for separating foreign objects to facilitate homogenization will minimize errors due to poor mixing and inclusion of extraneous material.

Standardized procedures for drying provide a means for reporting analytical values to a common dry weight basis.

1.1 This practice describes standard procedures for preparation of test samples (including the removal of occluded water and moisture) of field samples collected from locations such as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans.

1.2 These procedures are applicable to the determination of volatile, semivolatile, and nonvolatile constituents of sediments.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific precautionary statement, see Note 3.