3. Sampling Objectives

So, we will start looking at monitoring. We will take some time, so some of these concepts that you have looked at it preliminary in a very simple fashion will also apply here. So, monitoring is the main step because anything we want to do, we have to measure. The first step in the environmental sequence of things that we talked about is monitoring. So, the first thing you want to decide or to discuss is what are the objectives of monitoring. You can’t just go blindly into monitoring scheme without knowing why you are doing it, what is the objective?

Monitoring is essential for effective environmental management because it allows us to measure and understand various components of our environment. Before starting any monitoring activities, it is crucial to know the objectives. This ensures that the monitoring conducted is purposeful and focused on specific desirable outcomes. For example, if our goal is to measure water quality, we need to define what exactly we are monitoring to avoid wasting resources on irrelevant data.

Think of monitoring as preparing for a test in school. You need to know the subjects you will be tested on (objectives) before you start studying. If you only study randomly, you might prepare well for some topics but fail to cover key areas that will be tested. Similarly, having clear objectives in environmental monitoring helps focus efforts on what truly matters.

So objectives could be many things. So as we go further into the topic, we will refine this definition, objectives. Right now for many of you may not be very obvious what the objectives could be, but we will discuss that briefly. So, let us take the instance we are taking the case of water. Why do you want to measure water quality and we discussed this long back in the beginning of this. We want to measure water quality because we are worried that there may be any health effects from it. So, we would like to look at the water quality from a point of view of health effects.

The objectives of monitoring can vary significantly depending on the context and what you're measuring. For instance, when monitoring water quality, one ultimate objective is to protect health by ensuring the water is safe to drink. This necessitates identifying specific harmful components in the water. In other circumstances, such as assessing water for recreational use, the objectives may slightly differ, focusing on different quality indicators than those required for drinking.

Imagine you're planning a picnic by a lake. Before you go, you want to ensure the water is clean for swimming. Therefore, your objective is to check for harmful bacteria. If it were just for fishing, you might prioritize testing for pollutants that could harm fish rather than checking for bacteria. This example demonstrates how objectives change based on the use of water.

So when we do monitoring, implicit in monitoring is this issue of sampling, yeah. What do we mean by sampling? Monitoring is you are measuring a component or multiple components in a given sample of water. But then where do we sample? which water should we take?

Sampling refers to the process of collecting portions from the whole population or an area for analysis. In the context of water monitoring, it involves deciding what type of water to sample and where to take the sample from. These choices are crucial because they can influence the data collected and the conclusions drawn from it. For instance, sampling from a tap versus a river will yield very different information pertaining to water quality.

Imagine gathering fruit samples from a large orchard. If you only pick fruits from one tree, you might think all the fruits are ripe, but the truth is, each tree can vary. Similarly, in environmental monitoring, if you only sample a single location, you might miss out on understanding the overall condition of the water body.

So one must ask a question, the objectives of monitoring requires us to ask a question, form the monitoring question, what is it that here we want, so here is the question could be, 'is the water potable?' So it’s a very simple question. When we say it potable, we are defining the quality of water for potability.

When establishing monitoring objectives, it is necessary to frame specific questions that guide the monitoring process. Questions like 'Is the water safe to drink?' or 'Is the water appropriate for recreational use?' help to focus the monitoring efforts on specific aspects of water quality. These questions can further lead to the identification of what specific measurements or analyses need to be conducted.

Think about how you might consult a guide before hiking a mountain. You'd ask, 'Is this trail safe?' or 'What should I bring?' These questions will help direct your preparation and journey. In the same way, framing clear monitoring questions ensures focus on the environmental objectives.

So the idea of monitoring is linked to the end use of this and then we say is this particular type of water suitable for a particular application, is it suitable for washing, is it suitable for taking bath or is it suitable for industrial use and so on.

The monitoring objectives should connect directly to the intended use of the water being assessed. For example, if the monitoring objective is related to washing, the water quality should be evaluated against standards for that purpose rather than for drinking water standards. Understanding the end use helps determine which parameters need to be monitored to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Consider a multi-purpose cook. If you are preparing a dish that needs boiling water, the quality criterion is different than if you need water for making iced drinks. You wouldn't treat a pot of dirty water for cold drinks since it may not kill bacteria. Understanding the purpose guides how you use the water.

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