Which device is a flexible container used for chemical/radiological water sample collection?

• A. A sterile bag used for bacteriological water sampling.
• B. A flexible container used for chemical/radiological water sample collection.
• C. Collecting samples from surface water areas like lakes, ponds, streams, or reservoirs.
• D. Determining disinfectant/chlorine residual.

Answer: (B)

When collecting water samples for chemical or radiological analysis, the choice of container matters because you want to preserve the sample’s true composition from the field to the lab. A flexible container is used because it minimizes interactions between the sample and the container walls and reduces the amount of air or headspace that can cause loss of volatile components. This type of bag or pouch is typically made from an inert polymer and is designed to be clean and compatible with the chemicals or radionuclides being measured, helping to prevent contamination or adsorption that could bias results.

Sterile bags intended for bacteriological sampling are designed to keep microbes alive and prevent biological contamination, which can introduce substances or interactions that skew chemical analyses. The option about collecting samples from surface water points is describing where you collect, not the container itself, and the option about determining disinfectant residual refers to a measurement goal rather than the sample collection device.