Significance and Use

A bailer is a device for obtaining a sample from stratified or un-stratified waters and liquid wastes. The most common use of a bailer is for sampling ground water from single-screened wells (Fig. 1) and well clusters (see Guide D4448 ).

This practice is applicable to sampling water and liquid wastes. The sampling procedure will depend on sampling plan and the data quality objectives (DQOs) (Practice D5792 ).

Bailers may be used to purge ground water wells prior to sampling, but bailers are poor devices for removing large volumes of water.

Bailers may be used to sample waters and liquid wastes in underground and above ground tanks and surface impoundments. However, the design of the unit and associated piping should be well understood so that the bailer can access the desired compartment and depth. Any stratification of the liquid should be identified prior to sampling.

Note 1Viscous liquids and suspended solids may interfere with a bailer's designed operation.

Bailers do not subject the sample to pressure extremes. Bailing does disturb the water column and may cause changes to the parameters to be measured (for example, turbidity, gases, etc.).

1. Scope

1.1 This practice covers the procedure for sampling stratified or un-stratified waters and liquid waste using bailers.

1.2 Three specific bailers are discussed in this practice. The bailers are the single and double check valve and differential pressure.

1.3 This standard does not cover all of the bailing devices available to the user. The bailers chosen for this practice are typical of those commercially available.

1.4 This practice should be used in conjunction with Guide D4687 , Practice D5088 , and Practice D5283 .

1.5 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.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D4448 Guide for Sampling Ground-Water Monitoring Wells

D4687 Guide for General Planning of Waste Sampling

D4750 Test Method for Determining Subsurface Liquid Levels in a Borehole or Monitoring Well (Observation Well)

D5088 Practice for Decontamination of Field Equipment Used at Waste Sites

D5283 Practice for Generation of Environmental Data Related to Waste Management Activities: Quality Assurance and Quality Control Planning and Implementation

D5681 Terminology for Waste and Waste Management

D5792 Practice for Generation of Environmental Data Related to Waste Management Activities: Development of Data Quality Objectives

D6051 Guide for Composite Sampling and Field Subsampling for Environmental Waste Management Activities

D6232 Guide for Selection of Sampling Equipment for Waste and Contaminated Media Data Collection Activities

D6517 Guide for Field Preservation of Groundwater Samples

D6564 Guide for Field Filtration of Ground-Water Samples

D6634 Guide for the Selection of Purging and Sampling Devices for Ground-Water Monitoring Wells

EPA Standard

Keywords

bailer; ground water; liquid sampling; sampling waste; Bailers; Sampling liquids ;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 13.030.20 (Liquid wastes. Sludge); 55.100 (Bottles. Pots. Jars)

DOI: 10.1520/D6699-01R10

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM D6699