Do:
Rinse your integrated sampler with tap water at the end of the day before storing your sampler. Rinsing with tap water washes out any algae or leftover lake particles. Then allow your sampler to air dry, put the stoppers back in, and store it in a dry place.
Rinse your integrated sampler with lake water 3-4 times before collecting your sample. Field rinsing minimizes carry over contamination between sampling sites.
Don’t:
Don’t store your sampler without the stoppers in place. Insects and mice can get inside and contaminate the sampler with their fecal material, which would cause elevated phosphorus levels on your next sample event. If this happens to you, see the Mechanical Cleaning Procedures on the right.
Don’t store your sampler without letting the inside dry out first. If you put the stoppers in while it is still wet inside, algae can grow and contaminate the sampler, which would cause elevated chlorophyll-a levels on your next sample event. If this happens to you, see the Mechanical Cleaning Procedures on the right.
Cleaning Procedure
At the beginning of the sampling season or after potential contamination, it is important to perform thorough cleaning of your integrated sampler.
1. Mix a solution of 1 cup baking soda and one gallon of warm water in a plastic jug. The reason baking soda is used is that it is Phosphorus-free.
2. Plug one end of the sampler and pour in half the solution. Plug the other end and shake the sampler to wash out the inside. Pour out the solution.
3. Pour in the other half of the solution and repeat the rinsing.
4. If there is algae or other contamination still stuck to the inside of the sampler, mechanical cleaning is needed. If not, let your sampler dry out and then put the stoppers back in.
Mechanical Cleaning Procedure
With algae or other contaminants that are stuck inside your sampler, scrubbing is needed.
1. Purchase (see below) or make a loofa with fishing line and sinkers at each end.
2. Drop one sinker through the sampler and use two people, one on either end of the sampler, to pull the loofa back and forth inside the sampler to mechanically scrub it.
You can also watch this demonstrated in a short video by clicking Here.