Hi folks,
Does anybody have experience and feedback that they could share using test strips/kits for estimating concentrations of nutrients in streams, lakes and ponds? Our current approach is to analyze many elements within grab samples taken twice a year and we don’t have the resources to support the analysis of more samples per year, autosamplers, multi-probe sondes etc. While we are exploring the option of scaling back on the number of analytes so that we can process more samples per site per year, my thought was these strips/kits might be an alternative/inexpensive way permitting my technicians to sample more frequently and acquire estimates of the variation in the concentrations of some nutrients over time at a site and/or indicate when specific nutrients are at concentrations important to management. My staff also lack they ability of being at every site when we want to sample (e.g., after a storm event) so these techniques could be used by our park managers to sample specific events when we cannot. Here are some links on these test strips/kits. http://www.hach.com/test-strips/test-strips/family?productCategoryId=35547009709 http://www.hach.com/populartestkits Your experience with specific products and their comparison with other approaches would be helpful. Thanks, Aaron -- Program Manager Northeast Temperate Network National Park Service 54 Elm Street Woodstock, VT 05091 Office: 802-457-3368 x237 Cell: 802-359-3896 Fax: 802-457-3405 http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/
