Environmental Condition Assessment in Dubai: Sampling and Analysis

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Table of Contents

Sampling Program
Team Organization
Type of Samples
Sampling Techniques
Sampling Tools
Quality Control and Quality Assurance Measures
References

Sampling and analysis are the main constituents of the environmental condition assessment. The processes help the chemists and environmentalist to obtain the necessary indicators of the ecological response to the multiple disturbing factors and establish the relationships between them.

Although it may seem doesn’t play an important role and doesn’t largely influence the results, the findings in the multiple research provide a sufficient number of facts saying against this opinion. First of all, sampling is responsible for the validity and relevance of data as much as analysis. Every environmental project is concerned with the quality of the results. And since each project intends to find answers to the specific and distinct questions, the use of appropriate sample and sampling methods is critical.

Sampling helps to collect data that make it possible to find whether the hazardous conditions take place at s site and whether they jeopardize the human and environmental well-being (Aarnio, Mattila, Tornroos & Bondsdorff 2011). Environmental sample collection can be regarded a core of any environmental project collection, and there is a set of requirements that are needed for the correct sampling implementation. The sampling course in the environmental curriculum is thus shouldn’t be neglected. During the course, the students obtain the opportunity to find out about the multiple factors affecting the sampling collection and consequently the project’s final results.

“Like a living organism, an environmental sample has a finite life span and is as sensitive as living matter” (Popek 2003). The chemicals that are comprised in the sample are exposed to changes and transformation in different conditions and variations of temperatures or pressure. All the members of the environmental project team must be aware of this and many other factors that may result in the invalidity and irrelevance of the collected data. Therefore, sampling methods, techniques, and tools should be investigated and comprehended to avoid sample errors.

Laboratory analysis plays an important role in the data collection process as well. The main purpose of the analysis is the conversion of sample into the chemical data. The analysis is a complex process that involves many proceeding methods and requires the specialized knowledge. Although the majority of the environmental projects’ team members will not likely participate in the laboratory analysis by themselves, the understanding of the process supports the high level of the professional’s competence.

The specialists in the analytical laboratories perform various operations and resolve a vast number of qualitative and quantitative problems on the everyday basis. For the verification of the collected and converted data, it is important to adhere to all the analytical techniques with the requirements of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control protocols (Quality Control protocol 2005).

When the participants are aware of the set of requirements, standards, and operations conducted in the laboratory, he or she may assess the quality of the analytical work and data. By understanding of the organizational structure of the laboratory work and the main steps of the working process (sample receiving, sample storage, analytical sequence, internal standards, etc.), the project team can eliminate and resolve the potential errors related to the sample management, preparation, or analysis.

The efficiency of the environmental project conduction largely depends on all the aspects of the data collection process implementation – sampling and analysis. The environmental project participants thus need to know how to conduct the procedures correctly. When the work is being made, observed, and controlled by the competent specialists, the chances for errors occurrence drastically decrease.

Moreover, sampling and analysis are only a part of the project. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the data collection process includes three crucial stages: planning, implementation, and assessment (US Environmental Protection Agency 2000). Therefore, by knowing how to implement every aspect of sampling and analysis, the project participants can plan and assess the work organization and achievements more efficiently.

Sampling Program

The environmental assessment will take place in the coastal, industrial, and residential areas of Dubai. The objective of the study is the evaluation of the environmental stress caused by the anthropogenic factor.

Dubai is a well-developed urban area where a large number of citizens reside on the permanent and temporary basis. According to the recent research findings, urbanization jeopardizes the sustainability of ecosystems at both local and global scales (Li, Li, Zhou, Shi & Zhu 2012). Moreover, the environmental instability and pollution caused by urban area expansion threats the psychological and mental health of the urban inhabitants. Therefore, the environmental assessment of the urban sites is of great significance for the modern research.

Team Organization

‘Environment data collection projects require systematic planning, which is built on broad knowledge of environmental regulations and the technical expertise of engineers, geologists, chemists, statisticians, and other scientists’ (Popek 2003). Since the scope of the assessment is large, the group needs to include several qualified participants. Along with the project manager, there will be two members of technical staff, a representative of Dubai regulatory agency – the Environment Department of the Dubai Municipality, a chemist, and a few volunteers from the from the environmental studies departments of the UAE colleges.

Type of Samples

The sampling process is concerned with the collection of samples from the various ecosystems of the site: 1) water quality and diatoms, 2) vegetation, 3) soil and environmental contaminants. The collected samples will be analyzed for the detection of the interrelations between the environmental stress and response. First of all, it is necessary to establish the amount of the stressful factors in the ecosystems, and then detect which stress has the most impact on the environmental conditions in the sites. The samples will be thus collected in each of the three categories of ecosystems separately, and then they will be assessed integrally as well. By integrating sampling indicators, it is possible to obtain a thorough view of Dubai’s environmental condition (US Environmental Protection Agency 2002).

Sampling Techniques

Marine waters and the coastal areas are exposed to great stressing caused by human factor, industrial pollutant contamination, siltation, etc. The findings in the previous research demonstrate that the species are responsive to the environmental disturbances, and the assessment of invertebrate and plankton samples allows identification of the causal factors leading to the environmental deterioration (Almeida et al. 2014).

‘Diatoms are abundant and ubiquitous in terms of ecosystems and water chemistry and are sensitive to nutrient variation, as revealed by two studies conducted in mesotrophic and oligotrophic areas’ (Desrosiers, Leflaive, Eulin & Ten-Hage 2013). Therefore, the diatoms will play the taxonomic and bio-indication role in the assessment of the coastal area environment.

The methods will include the qualitative sampling of sediments in the coastal area, and the samples of the cobbles and small boulders in the others site areas. The boulders are usually widely available in the small urban water basins as well. The given substratum analysis will allow a better understanding of the local community ecology (Taylor, Harding & Archibald 2007).

For the outdoor vegetation sampling, the simple rake technique will be used. The rake sampling method allows calculating the species biomass and predicting the total distribution and abundance in the site area. The predictions made on the basis of the data collected through the analysis helps to assess the trends and dynamics in the ecosystems, and those that are caused by the anthropologic influences as well (Kenow, Lyon, Hines & Elfessi 2007).

LA-ICP-MS is the analytical technology that allows making a precise and sensitive chemical analysis. The analysis can be conducted on the solid samples to identify the level of the pollution and contamination. The samples of soil, water, and vegetation from Al Quoz, Al Barsha, and Umm Suqeim sites in Dubai will be collected.

Sampling Tools

The required sampling collection tools are: water safety equipment, sample bottles, 5 mm glass tube for the qualitative sampling of sediments, Perspex tubes for the quantitative sampling, plastic trays for soil and vegetation sampling, toothbrush for removing diatoms from stones, knife, turkey baster, and camera (Taylor, Harding & Archibald 2007).

There is a great variety of brands that offer the equipment for the environmental assessment and field sampling. Each tool may be purchased separately or in a set. For example, Poly-Corr Industries produce the basic sampling tools like tubes and cores, and the thickness of the products vary from 0.45 inch to 1 inch (Environmental XPRT n.d.).

However, it would be better to acquire the soil and water sampling equipment kits such as Akkerman Core Sampler Standard Set or Type Beeker Sediment Core Sampler kit produced by Eijkelkamp Soil & Water (Environmental XPRT n.d.). The instruments included in these kits are reusable and washable. They are made of the sturdy and resistant materials, and this aspect supports the long term of usage and high quality of items. In this way, one can save money and time, avoid the sample missing, leakage, and damage.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance Measures

The sample errors that may negatively affect the validity and relevance of collected data include both qualitative and quantitative factors. The errors may take place in the sample variability, population variability, sampling design, and field sampling procedures (Popek 2003). In the field sampling, the errors are mainly caused by human factor and include the misidentification or missing sampling elements; lack of comprehension of the procedures consequence, consistency, and purpose; usage of the incorrect sampling tools, etc.

For performing the high-quality procedures in the field sampling, first of all, it is necessary to make a plan and assign each team member a task. The accomplishment of duties must be reported and noted. The team manager needs to pay a greater attention to the field documentation completion, and there must be no gaps in the documents and reports.

For the avoidance of the sample errors, it is important to duplicate field samples – it will allow getting credible data in the lab analysis. The careful planning and organization of sampling process will help to eliminate the errors related to the sample and population variables. Therefore, the appropriate and thorough plan design is the critical aspect of the quality control.

Aarnio, K, Mattila, J, Tornroos, A & Bonsdorff, E 2011, ‘Zoobenthos as an environmental quality element: the ecological significance of sampling design and functional traits’, Marine Ecology, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 58-71.

References

Akkerman – Core Sample, Standard Set, n.d., image, Web.

Almeida, S, Elias, C, Ferreira, J, Tornes, E, Puccinelly, C, Delmas, F, Dorflinger, G, Urbanic, G, Marcheggiani, S, Rosebery, J, Mancini, L & Sabater, S 2014, ‘Water quality assessment of rivers using diatom metrics across Mediterranean Europe: a methods intercalibration exercise’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 476, pp. 768-776.

Desrosiers, C, Leflaive, J, Eulin, L & Ten-Hage, N 2013, ‘Bioindicators in marine waters: benthic diatoms as a tool to assess water quality from eutrophic to oligotrophic coastal ecosystems’, Ecological Indicators, vol. 32, pp. 25-34.

Environmental XPRT n.d., Cores and tubes, Web.

Kenow, K P, Lyon, J E, Hines, R K & Elfessi, A 2007, ‘Estimating biomass of submersed vegetation using a simple rake sampling technique’, Hydrobiologia, vol. 575, no. 1, pp. 447-454.

Li, Y, Li, Y, Zhou, Y, Shi, Y & Zhu, X 2012, ‘Investigation of a coupling model of coordination between urbanization and the environment’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 98, pp. 127-133.

Popek E 2003, Sampling and analysis of environmental chemical pollutants: a complete guide, Academic Press, New York.

Quality Control protocol 1 – 2005/06 field season data verification QA site visits for stand-level biodiversity and riparian/fish resource stewardship monitoring 2005, Web.

Taylor, J, Harding, W & Archibald, C 2007, A methods manual for the collection, preparation and analysis of diatom samples. Web.

US Environmental Protection Agency 2000, Guidance for data quality objectives process: EPA QA/G-4, Web.

US Environmental Protection Agency 2002, A framework for assessing and reporting on ecological condition: an SAB report, Web.

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