SAMPLE
HANDLING
DATA
STANDARD
Standard
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1
 
FINAL
DRAFT
July
26,
2005
This
standard
has
been
produced
through
the
Environmental
Data
Standards
Council
(
EDSC).

The
Environmental
Data
Standards
Council
(
EDSC)
is
a
partnership
among
EPA,
States
and
Tribal
partners
to
develop
and
agree
upon
data
standards
for
environmental
information
collection
and
exchange.
More
information
about
the
EDSC
is
available
at
http://
www.
envdatastandards.
net.
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
2
Foreword
The
Environmental
Data
Standards
Council
identifies,
prioritizes
and
pursues
the
creation
of
data
standards
for
those
areas
where
information
exchange
standards
will
provide
the
most
value
in
achieving
environmental
results.
The
Council
involves
Tribes
and
Tribal
Nations,
state
and
federal
agencies
in
the
development
of
the
standards
and
then
provides
the
draft
materials
for
general
review.
Business
groups,
non­
governmental
organizations,
and
other
interested
parties
may
then
provide
input
and
comment
for
Council
consideration
and
standard
finalization.
Draft
and
final
standards
are
available
at
http://
www.
envdatastandards.
net.

1.0
INTRODUCTION
This
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
identifies
descriptors
for
handling,
treatment,
and
preservation
of
a
sample
in
the
laboratory
and/
or
field
activities.

1.1
Scope
This
standard
provides
and
describes
data
groupings
that
are
used
to
exchange
data
related
to
sample
handling,
treatment,
and
preservation
in
the
laboratory
and/
or
field.

1.2
References
to
Other
Data
Standards
The
standard
relies
on
other
standards
to
make
it
complete
and
provide
the
necessary
support.
Users
should
consider
the
Normative
Standards
(
references),
noted
below,
integral
to
the
standard.
These
include:

 
Measure
[
Final
Draft
Version
1.0]
Data
Standard
 
Method
[
Final
Draft
Version
1.0]
Data
Standard
 
Representation
of
Date
and
Time
[
Final
Draft
Version
2.0]
Data
Standard
For
the
purposes
of
this
document,
the
following
terms
and
definitions
apply.

Term
Definition
Sample
Handling
The
means/
procedures
used
to
handle
a
sample
for
sample
treatment
and/
or
sample
preservation.

Sample
Treatment
The
means
used
to
treat
a
sample
prior
to
measurement
or
sample
preparation.

Sample
Preservation
The
means
used
to
preserve
a
sample
either
in
the
field
or
at
the
laboratory.

1.4
Implementation
Users
are
encouraged
to
use
the
XML
registry
housed
on
the
Exchange
Network
Web
site
to
download
schema
components
for
the
construction
of
XML
schema
flows
(
http://
www.
exchangenetwork.
net).

1.5
Document
Structure
The
structure
of
this
document
is
briefly
described
below:

a.
Section
2.0
Diagram,
illustrates
the
principal
data
groupings
contained
within
this
standard.
b.
Section
3.0
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Table,
provides
detailed
information
on
the
high
level,
intermediate
and
elemental
Sample
Handling
data
groupings.
Where
applicable,
for
each
level
of
this
data
standard
a
definition,
XML
tag,
note(
s),
example
list
of
values
and
format
are
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
3
provided.
The
format
column
may
list
the
number
of
characters
for
the
associated
data
element,
where
"
A"
specifies
alphanumeric
and
"
N"
designates
numeric.
c.
Data
Standard
Numbering:
For
purposes
of
clarity
and
to
enhance
understanding
of
data
standard
hierarchy
and
relationships,
each
data
group
is
numerically
classified
from
the
primary
to
the
elemental
level.
d.
Code
and
Identifier
metadata:
Based
on
the
business
need,
additional
metadata
may
be
required
to
sufficiently
describe
an
identifier
or
a
code.
A
note
regarding
this
additional
metadata
is
included
in
the
notes
column
for
identifier
and
code
elements.
Additional
metadata
for
identifiers
may
include:
 
Code
List
Identifier,
which
is
a
standardized
reference
to
the
context
or
source
of
the
set
of
codes
Additional
metadata
for
codes
may
include:
 
Code
List
Identifier,
which
is
a
standardized
reference
to
the
context
or
source
of
the
set
of
codes
 
Code
List
Version
Identifier,
which
identifies
the
particular
version
of
the
set
of
codes.
 
Code
List
Version
Agency
Identifier,
which
identifies
the
agency
responsible
for
maintaining
the
set
of
codes
 
Code
List
Name,
which
describes
the
corresponding
name
for
which
the
code
represents
e.
Appendix
A,
Sample
Handling
Data
Structure
Diagram
illustrates
the
hierarchical
classification
of
the
Sample
Handling
data
standard.
This
diagram
enables
business
and
technical
users
of
this
standard
to
quickly
understand
its
general
content
and
complexity.
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
4
2.0
SAMPLE
HANDLING
DIAGRAM
This
diagram
specifies
the
major
data
groups
that
may
be
used
to
identify
the
characteristics
and/
or
to
catalog
sample
handling.

Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
1.0
Sample
Handling
2.0
Sample
Preservation
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
5
3.0
SAMPLE
HANDLING
DATA
ELEMENTS
TABLE
1.0
Sample
Handling
Definition:
Information
describing
sample
handling
procedures
including
sample
treatment
or
sample
preservation.

Relationship:
None.

Notes:
None.

XML
Tag:
SampleHandling
Data
Element
Name
Data
Element
Definitions
Notes
Format
XML
Tags
1.1
Sample
Handling
Type
Identifies
the
type
of
sample
handling
conducted
on
a
sample.
Permitted
List
of
Values:

 
Sample
Treatment
 
Sample
Preservation
A
SampleHandlin
gTypeName
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
6
Data
Element
Name
Data
Element
Definitions
Notes
Format
XML
Tags
1.2
Sample
Handling
Method
Information
describing
the
method
used
to
treat
or
preserve
the
sample.
Note:
Reference
the
Method
[
DRAFT]

Data
Standard.

The
following
items
may
be
needed:

Method
Identifier,

Method
Name,

Method
Qualifier
Type,

Method
Qualifier,

Method
Description
Text,

Method
Type,

Method
Deviations,

Method
Reference
Note:
Multiple
methods
may
be
recorded.

Example
treatment
types
are
filtration,

homogenization,
chemical
surrogate
addition,
etc.

Example
preservation
types
are
chemical
preservation
and
thermal
preservation.

Possible
descriptive
information
for
homogenization
may
include
subsampling
splitting,
sieving,
mixing,

grinding
protocols,
etc.

Possible
descriptive
information
for
chemical
surrogate
addition
may
include
type
and
amount
of
surrogate
added
etc.
A
SampleHandlin
gMethod
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
7
Data
Element
Name
Data
Element
Definitions
Notes
Format
XML
Tags
1.3
Sample
Handling
Amount
The
amount
(
weight
or
volume)
of
the
sample
subject
to
handling.
Note:
Reference
the
Measure
[
DRAFT]

Data
Standard.

The
following
items
may
be
needed:

Measure
Value,

Measure
Unit
Code,

Measure
Qualifier
Code,

Measure
QA/
QC
Note:
To
be
used
when
a
determined
amount
of
sample
handled
in
procedures
(
e.
g.
in
TCLP
­
Toxicity
Characteristic
Leaching
Procedure)

prior
to
sample
preparation
and
analysis
needs
to
be
exchanged.
A
SampleHandlin
gAmount
1.4
Sample
Handling
Start
Date
The
starting
date
that
a
sample
was
subject
to
handling.
Note:
Reference
the
Date/
Time
[
1­

19934­
2]
Data
Standard.
YYYY­
MMDD
SampleHandlin
gStartDate
1.5
Sample
Handling
Start
Time
The
starting
time
that
a
sample
was
subject
to
handling.
Note:
Reference
the
Date/
Time
[
1­

19934­
2]
Data
Standard.
hh:
mm:
ss
±
hh:
mm
SampleHandlin
gStartTime
1.6
Sample
Handling
End
Date
The
ending
date
that
a
sample
was
subject
to
handling.
Note:
Reference
the
Date/
Time
[
1­

19934­
2]
Data
Standard.
YYYY­
MMDD
SampleHandlin
gEndDate
1.7
Sample
Handling
End
Time
The
ending
time
that
a
sample
was
subject
to
handling.
Note:
Reference
the
Date/
Time
[
1­

19934­
2]
Data
Standard.
hh:
mm:
ss
±
hh:
mm
SampleHandlin
gEndTime
1.8
Sample
Handling
Comments
Additional
information
relative
to
sample
handling.
Note:
This
field
could
be
used
to
indicate
that
no
sample
handling
procedures
were
used.
A
SampleHandlin
gCommentText
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
8
2.0
Sample
Preservation
Definition:
The
means
used
to
preserve
a
sample
either
in
the
field
or
at
the
laboratory.

Relationship:
None.

Notes:
None.

XML
Tag:
SamplePreservation
Data
Element
Name
Data
Element
Definitions
Notes
Format
XML
Tags
2.1
Chemical
Preservative
Used
Information
describing
the
chemical
means
to
preserve
the
sample.
Multiple
values
may
be
used.

Example
List
of
Values:

 
pH
adjustment
 
Antioxidant
 
Other
(
comment
field)

 
None
A
ChemicalPreserv
ativeUsedName
2.1
Thermal
Preservative
Used
Information
describing
the
temperature
means
used
to
preserve
the
sample.
Multiple
values
may
be
used.

Example
List
of
Values:

 
Wet
ice
(
4
o
C)

 
Cold
packs
(
4
o
C)

 
Frozen
(
0
o
C)

 
Cool,
<=
6
o
C
 
None
A
ThermalPreservat
iveUsedName
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
Std
No.:
1­
XXX
Version
1.0
 
Final
Draft
July
26,
2005
Page
9
Appendix
A
Sample
Handling
Data
Structure
Diagram
Sample
Handling
Data
Standard
1.0
Sample
Handling
1.1
Sample
Handling
Type
1.2
Sample
Handling
Method
1.3
Sample
Handling
Amount
1.4
Sample
Handling
Start
date
1.5
Sample
Handling
Start
Time
1.6
Sample
Handling
End
Date
1.7
Sample
Handling
End
Time
1.8
Sample
Handling
Comments
2.0
Sample
Preservation
2.1
Chemical
Preservative
Used
2.2
Thermal
Preservative
Used
