Dissolved Gas N2 / Ar and 4He Sampling
Serum Bottles
The bottles and stoppers used for collection of dissolved gas N2 / Ar and 4He are supplied by the USGS. The equipment and bottle request form can be filled out from within the USGS network by returning to the main lab home page. If you are outside the USGS, please email cfc@usgs.gov or call 703-648-5847 or 5347 to request bottles.
Sampling Instructions:
- Insert a needle into the rubber stopper until the tip slightly exits through the stopper. (See illustrations below) and Picture Here.
- Fill a 2 liter beaker with sample water.
- Place the water discharge tube at the bottom of the 150 mL sample bottle. After it is filled place the bottle in the water filled beaker. The water should be flowing into the bottle when it is put in the beaker. Do not filter the sample, use raw sample.
- Make sure that no bubbles are adhering to the sides of the bottle. Insert the stopper in the bottle while the bottle is submerged in the water. Make sure that you push the stopper all the way down. Take duplicates of all samples.
- Remove the needle from the stopper while the bottle is still submerged in the water. Properly dispose of all needles or return the used needles with the samples.
- Record the (a) sample name, (b) water temperature and (c) estimated recharge altitude on the label attached to the foam sleeve.
- Keep samples on ice or at least as cool as the temperature of the sampled ground water. This will keep the stoppers from popping up as sample warms up. Store sample bottles upside down or on their side to keep any bubble that forms away from the stopper.
- Ship samples with ice in cooler overnight
express to:
Peggy Widman
U.S. Geological Survey
M.S. 432
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr.
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: 703-648-5347
Email: pkwidman@usgs.gov Do Not ship samples on a Friday. The samples will not be delivered here until Monday and may heat up in storage.
Illustrations
