New ISO 5667-14 – Collecting Water Samples

There’s a new 2nd Edition for the ISO 5667-14, “Water quality – Sampling – Part 14: Guidance on quality assurance and quality control of environmental water sampling and handling.”  It’s available now from Document Center in paper format, for pdf download, and as part of our Standards Online multi-user subscription service.  It is a major technical update from the previous (now obsolete) 1st Edition from 1998.

ISO 5667-14 provides you with quality control procedures to ensure that water samples are correctly handled for test lab processing.  It helps you avoid errors caused by improper sampling, sample pre-treatment, transport and storage.

Why use ISO 5667-14?  It allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your sampling methodology.  You’ll be able to demonstrate that the various stages of your sampling process are appropriate and controlled.  You’ll be able to identify and quantify any errors that do crop up in your process.  And it will help you set up a system for dealing with emergency sampling for pollution incidents or groundwater investigations.

What’s changed in the 2nd Edition of ISO 5667-14?  It’s clear that the document has undergone an extensive revision.  The new 2nd Edition is 42 pages compared to the 24 pages of the 1st Edition.  The difference is that there are many more clauses in the new update.  Both editions start with the scope, reference documents and definitions clauses.  However, after that the 2nd Edition gets much more specific than before.  Here is the list of the expanded requirements sections (up from 5 clauses to 10):

  • Sources of sampling error
  • Sampling quality
  • Strategy and organization
  • Sample collection and handling
  • Sample identification
  • Field sample protocol
  • Transport and storage of samples
  • Sampling quality control techniques
  • Analysis and interpretation of quality control data
  • Independent audits

FYI:  The clauses in the 1st Edition were just Sources of sampling error, Sampling quality control techniques, Transport, stabilization and storage of samples, Analysis and interpretation of quality control data, and Sample identification and records.

The Annexes have also been updated.  The 1st Edition contained just 2: Annex A on Control charts and Annex B, the Bibliography.  The new 2nd Edition has 3, as well as a separate Bibliography.  They are:

  • Common sources of sampling error
  • Control charts
  • Sub-sampling using a homogenizer

The ISO 5667-14 is one of 21 parts for the ISO 5667 series.  If you need this publication, any of the series, or any standard at all, please go to the Document Center webstore at www.document-center.com to order your authorized copies.  We’ve been providing our customers with specifications and standards and the services to promote correct usage since 1982.  If you’d like more information, feel free to contact our staff by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  Make us your Standards Experts!

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Claudia Bach

Claudia Bach is the President of Document Center Inc. and a world-wide recognized expert on Standards and Standards Distribution. You can connect with her on Google+

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