ABSTRACT
The objective of any sediment sampling program is to deliver to the laboratory samples as representative of the original material as possible. After sediments have been collected using grab samplers or corers at the field site, the resultant material (the sample) has to be handled and processed properly. There should be little or no disturbance due to field handling before transport ing to the laboratory for physical, chemical, and biological testing. Proper sediment handling and preparation must be considered a very important operation in the overall procedures used for testing and analyses. The best analytical methods and procedures can fail and yield incorrect data if samples are improperly handled and prepared. Materials such as rocks, soils, or sediments are difficult to prepare for analyses without changing their compo sition in some respect. For example, the addition of foreign material (contami nation) or the loss or change of certain components of the sample through evaporation, oxidation, etc. can compromise its integrity.
