5.1 Sample nature and properties
As it was mentioned before, it is difficult to foresee the complexity of any environmental problem. There are several challenges for a proper sample selection in site characterization, since:
- Samples may differ by composition and aggregation
- The concentration of contaminants of concern (abundance) is unknown
- Heterogeneous spatial distribution of the common radioactive contaminants of concern
- Need to analyze different compartments (soil, water, biota)
- Large amount of samples required to evaluate the status and extent of the contamination
It is worth to note that collecting large amounts of samples for laboratory analysis might not necessarily produce useful information and sampling in the site requires of previous knowledge (history). The figure below represents a case where a regular sampling has been performed for laboratory analysis (dots) in a site with uneven distribution of the contamination.
