ABSTRACT
A myriad of living organisms and particles of nonliving matter free floating in water is the very basis of the life support system in aquatic environments. The suspended particles are an integral component for both their nutritive qualities and their ability to adsorb organic and inorganic pollutants.1 Simul taneously, these minute particles are the main transport media for the dispersion and translocation of these contaminants. In the past decade, research into the role of suspended particles has been increasing, in recogni tion of their importance in the cycling of nutrients and pollutants. Proper sampling techniques and proper sampling devices are of equal importance to obtain a representative sample which would adequately describe the ambient concentration and flux of settling and suspended particulate matter (SPM). This chapter emphasizes the definition, origin, and fate of particulate material (Sections I.A and B), the sampling strategy dependent thereof (Section I.C), the state of the art of different sampling devices (Sections II.A to D) and sample processing prior to analysis (Section III).
