ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the use of field analytical techniques as a cost- and time-effective tool in process of solving environmental problems. It provides a description of some of the typical field analytical procedures and the type of chemical data that they can contribute to an investigation. The chapter discusses the practical uses of field analytical results and presents the various advantages inherent in typical approach as part of the environmental problemsolving process. It summarizes the utility of incorporating field analytical techniques into the process of investigating hazardous waste sites and their subsequent remediation. Typical procedures for collecting soil and water samples for use in site characterization, remediation, bench-scale treatability, or bioremediation studies often include collecting samples by hand or by heavy equipment. Field analytical methods provide daily chemical data for use in making decisions during field sampling, remediation, or treatability testing, effectively reducing the need to send samples to an off-site laboratory for chemical analysis.