What are composite samples collected to measure?

Composite samples are designed to measure the average concentration of pollutants over a specified time period or across a specific location. In environmental monitoring, especially concerning water quality, composite sampling involves taking multiple smaller samples at various times or from different locations and combining them into a single sample. This method helps to create a more representative snapshot of the pollutant levels, capturing variations that might occur during the sampling events.

By averaging the individual samples, composite samples minimize the impact of transient spikes in pollutant levels, providing a clearer overall picture of the pollution situation. This is crucial for establishing compliance with environmental regulations and understanding long-term trends in water quality, rather than just focusing on potentially misleading single samples which might not represent the overall conditions. Therefore, using composite samples to measure the average amount of pollutants is essential for effective environmental compliance and management.