Typical scenarios within this site’s subject: questions to ask, materials to prepare and points that can be examined.
Typical scenarios
If a new water result shows less metal, it may be presented as improvement in the waterbody. But the new sample may have been filtered while the earlier one included suspended particles followed by digestion. The same element name does not establish that the same fraction was measured.
Typical scenarios
If equivalent noise levels are arithmetically averaged, the result may misrepresent total sound energy. Durations may differ and some values may be maxima. Identify every descriptor and the period actually covered.
Typical scenarios
If silt below an outfall contains more metal than upstream sand, the outfall may be blamed. Grain size and organic matter also differ. Sampling should align depth and substrate while considering other inputs.
Typical scenarios
If one wastewater concentration is multiplied by the daily discharge volume, the result may look convincing. Yet sampling may fall between production cycles while flow varies. Check which period the measurement actually represents.
Typical scenarios
Suppose a water sample taken downstream of a suspected discharge after heavy rain produces different readings. It is compared with an earlier laboratory report, although sampling locations, weather and source operating conditions may differ.
Typical scenarios
If residents mainly notice an odour at night but the submitted measurements are daytime readings, an absent indicator does not automatically describe the night-time situation. Timing, sampling locations, weather and information about potential sources need to be compared. Conditions may differ even between nearby points.
