Clare works for a company that carries out independent monitoring and chemical analysis of river water quality. In the top photograph she is collecting a sample of water from the Ohinemuri River. The bottom photograph shows readings being taken and recorded.
To avoid contamination, water samples must always be collected upstream of the person sampling. The technician must wear latex gloves to prevent chemicals naturally present on the skin, or from deposits left on the hands from other activities, from washing into the sample bottle. Sometimes preservatives are added to the samples so they don’t become spoiled before they reach the laboratories for analysis. Samples are chilled to slow down reactions that could change their nature in the time between collection and analysis.
