Coliwasa Sampler

There is equipment that will collect a sample from the full depth of a drum and maintain it in the transfer tube until delivery to the sample bottle. These equipment designs include primarily the Composite Liquid Waste Sampler (COLIWASA) and modifications thereof. The COLIWASA is a sampler designed to permit representative sampling of multiphase wastes from drums and other containerized wastes. One configuration is a 152-cm-by-4-cm ID section of tubing with a neoprene stopper at one end, attached by a rod running the length of the tube to a locking mechanism which opens and closes the sampler by raising and lowering the neoprene stopper.

Guidelines for Use;
1. Put the sampler in the open position by placing the stopper rod handle in the T-position and pushing the rod down until the handle sits against the sampler's locking block.

2. Slowly lower the sampler into the liquid waste. (Lower the sampler at a rate that permits the levels of the liquid inside and outside the sampler tube to be about the same. If the level of the liquid in the sample tube is lower than that outside the sampler, the sampling rate is too fast and will result in a non-representative sample.)

3. When the sampler stopper hits the bottom of the waste container, push the sampler tube downward against the stopper to close the sampler. Lock the sampler in the closed position by turning the T-handle until it is upright and one end rests tightly on the locking block.

4. Slowly withdraw the sample from the waste container with one hand, while wiping the sampler tube with a disposable cloth or rag with the other hand.

5. Carefully discharge the sample into a suitable sample container by slowly pulling the lower end of the T-handle away from the locking block while the lower end of the sampler is positioned in a sample container.

6. Cap the sample container with a Teflon®-lined cap, attach label and seal, and record on sample data sheet.

7. Unscrew the T-handle of the sampler and disengage the locking block. Clean sampler