Abstract
A research program to study pollution of the marine environment by organic compounds contains several critical stages. Among the critical steps are: problem definition and planning, sample acquisition, analytical measurement, and data interpretation. These steps are, of course, interrelated. For example, program goals dictate the type of samples to be collected and the compounds to be analyzed. Analytical procedures and expected analyte concentration place certain restrictions and requirements on sample size and on necessary pre-cautions against contamination. Furthermore, available sampling and analytical technologies guide the initial planning and stated research objectives. Because of the complexity and diversity of analytical techniques for organic compounds, the development and discussion of analytical protocols has received the major emphasis in environmental pollution studies. Indeed, numerous exciting developments have taken place in the field of environmental organic chemistry. However, less emphasis has been given to the problem of obtaining useful samples from the field. The problems of collecting an uncompromised sample from the marine environment is particularly difficult because of the usually low concentration of target organic species and the usually numerous opportunities in sample handling and collection techniques to add artifacts or contaminate the samples.