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A Sample is a single item or specimen selected from a larger population, such as any subset of a population of any medium (air, water, soil, etc.) used to characterize or make inferences regarding that population.

In acceptance sampling, one or more units of product (or a quantity of material) drawn from a lot for purposes of inspection to reach a decision regarding acceptance of the lot.

Description

In the environment context, a sample refers to a small portion of a larger population or area that is taken for analysis or study. Samples can be collected from various sources such as air, water, soil, plants, and animals to assess the quality of the environment. Sampling is a crucial method used in environmental monitoring, research, and assessment to understand the impact of human activities on the natural world. It helps in identifying pollutants, tracking changes in ecosystems, and making informed decisions for environmental management.

Application Areas

• Water quality assessment
• Air pollution monitoring
• Soil contamination studies
• Biodiversity research
• Ecological impact assessments

Treatment and Risks

• Treatments for environmental samples may include filtration, extraction, and chemical analysis to determine pollutants present.
• Risks associated with handling environmental samples include exposure to contaminants, pollution, and hazardous materials.
• Proper safety measures and protocols should be in place to minimize risks to researchers and the environment.

Examples

• Collecting water samples from rivers to test for heavy metal contamination
• Gathering soil samples from industrial sites to assess pollution levels
• Taking air samples near factories to monitor air quality and emissions

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Specimen
• Test sample
• Environmental specimen
• Environmental test sample

Articles with 'Sample' in the title

• Bulk Sample: Bulk Sample : A Bulk Sample is a small portion (usually thumbnail size) of a suspect asbestos-containing building material collected by an Asbestos inspector for laboratory analysis to determine asbestos content
• Continuous Sample: Continuous Sample : A Continuous Sample is a flow of water, waste or other material from a particular place in a plant to the location where samples are collected for testing
• Double sample: Double sample: A double sample is a sample of a sample. Specifically in EMAP, resource attributes from remote sensing or cartographic materials can be measured on a larger sample than those attributes requiring field measurements
• Index sample: An index sample is a standardized judgment sample for which explicit rules for generating the Index measure are formally prescribed. An Index sample is appropriate only for ecologically integrated systems
• Judgment sample: Judgment sample: A judgment sample is a type of nonrandom sample that is selected based on the personal views or opinions of the individual, usually an expert in the field, making the selection
• Laboratory Control Sample: Laboratory Control Sample (LCS) is a specimen of known composition prepared using contaminant-free reagent water, or an inert solid, that is spiked with the analyte of interest at the midpoint of the calibration curve or at the level of . . .
• Positive Control Sample: A Positive Control Sample is a prepared standard which undergoes an analytical procedure to provide comparison with an unknown specimen thereby monitoring recovery to assure that a test and/or its components are working properly and . . .
• Proficiency Test Sample: A Proficiency Test Sample is a test specimen that mimics an actual specimen in all possible aspects, except that its composition is unknown to the laboratory at the time of analysis, which is used to assess the laboratory"s capability to . . .
• Sample Size: The Sample Size is the number of specimens units to be collected or the relative size of each specimen, volume, weight, etc. The number of units in a sample
• Statistical sample: Statistical sample in the environmental context refers to a subset of data or a collection of samples from a larger population within an environmental study
• Systematic sample: Systematic sample: A systematic sample is a sampling design that utilizes regular spacing between the sample points, in one sense or another. The EMAP design selects samples via the triangular grid
• Composite Sample: A Composite Sample is a series of water samples taken over a given period of time and weighted by flow rate.
• Area sample: Area sample: An area sample is the units selected for measurements from an area frame.
• Augmented sample: Augmented sample: An augmented sample is a grid-based sample whose size has been increased by using a denser grid.
• Blank sample: A Blank sample is a control sample in which the detector is unexposed and submitted for analysis. Often used to determine detector background values.
• Probability sample: Probability sample: A probability sample is a sample chosen in such a manner that the probabilities of including the selected units in the sample are known, and all population units have a positive probability of selection
• Field Duplicate, Subsample: A Field Duplicate, Subsample is a test specimen that is homogenized before being divided into two or more portions with the same laboratory analyzing all portions
• Grab Samples: Grab Samples are discrete subsets of a population thought to be representative of a specific area and a specific time, not necessarily taken at random
• Matrix Spike Sample: A Matrix Spike Sample is a test specimen prepared by adding a known concentration of the target analyte to a specified amount of a specific homogenized specimen where an estimate of the target concentration is available and subjected to . . .
• Quality Control Sample: A Quality Control Sample is one of any number of test specimens, such as a Proficiency Test or blank, intended to demonstrate that a measurement system or activity is in check
• Random Sample: A Random Sample is a subsection of a population selected in such a way that each unit of the population has the same chance of being selected.
• Representative Sample: A Representative Sample is a subset of a population that is supposed to reflect what should occur under normal operating conditions.

Weblinks

• psychology-lexicon.com: 'Sample' in the psychology-lexicon.com
• fashion-glossary.com: 'Sample' in the fashion-glossary.com
• psychology-lexicon.com: 'Sample' in the psychology-lexicon.com

Summary

In the environment context, a sample is a representative portion of a larger population or area used for analysis and study. Sampling is essential for monitoring environmental quality, assessing pollution levels, and studying biodiversity. Proper treatment of samples and careful handling to minimize risks are crucial in environmental sampling. Various applications such as water quality assessment, air pollution monitoring, and soil contamination studies rely on collecting and analyzing environmental samples for informed decision-making.

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