Role of Laboratory Sampling Devices and Laboratory Subsampling Methods in Representative Sampling Strategies

The biogenic content of process streams from mechanical–biological treatment plants producing solid recovered fuel. Do the manual sorting and selective dissolution determination methods correlate?

“…For the measurement of v B using the selective dissolution method, the reassembled fractions were sub-sampled in accord with the ToS (Gerlach and Nocerino, 2004;Nocerino et al, 2005). Samples from the process streams SP1, and SP 16 were shredded to <40 mm, by passing them twice through a slow rotation Rodan Engineering CS 3000 rotary shear (Stoke-on-Trent, UK).…”

Establishing a sub-sampling plan for waste-derived solid recovered fuels (SRF): Effects of shredding on representative sample preparation based on theory of sampling (ToS)

“…Inherent material heterogeneity can introduce significant uncertainty during sampling and laboratory sample preparation, i.e. sub-sampling, and therefore compromises the accuracy of analytical results (Edjabou et al, 2015;Nocerino et al, 2005). Laboratory sub-sampling is the process by which the initially obtained sample is split into sub-samples consecutive times until the generation of a final test sub-sample from which a small mass is drawn for analytical determination, known as test portion (Nocerino et al, 2005;Prichard and Barwick, 2007).…”

“…sub-sampling, and therefore compromises the accuracy of analytical results (Edjabou et al, 2015;Nocerino et al, 2005). Laboratory sub-sampling is the process by which the initially obtained sample is split into sub-samples consecutive times until the generation of a final test sub-sample from which a small mass is drawn for analytical determination, known as test portion (Nocerino et al, 2005;Prichard and Barwick, 2007). Sub-sampling can be designed and executed with a high level of control, with a view to minimise introduction of bias within reason of available resources (time and effort) (Gerlach and Nocerino, 2003).…”

An investigation of the impact of left‐censored soil contamination data on the uncertainty of descriptive statistical parameters

“…Collecting representative soil samples is a crucial step to gain an unbiased and precise knowledge of the contamination levels for the soil population under study. Strategies required to ensure that a representative sample is obtained focus on minimizing the uncertainties associated with sampling protocol, sample preparation, and chemical analysis; some examples can be found in Gerlach et al , Nocerino et al , Boudreault et al , and Dubé et al . Once a representative sample is obtained, the estimation of statistical parameters (e.g., the mean and standard deviation) of the resultant concentration measurements actually represents the contamination levels in the soil population under study.…”