Field and Laboratory Analyses of Water from the Columbia Aquifer in Eastern Maryland

Field and laboratory analyses of pH, alkalinity, and specific conductance from water samples collected from the Columbia aquifer on the Delmarva Peninsula in eastern Maryland were compared to determine if laboratory analyses could be used for making regional water-quality interpretations. On the basis of 170 field pH and specific conductance measurements, 165 laboratory pH and specific conductance measurements, and 86 field and 135 laboratory alkalinity measurements, a significant difference at the 0.1-percent level was found between laboratory and field analyses of pH and specific conductance. No significant difference was found between laboratory and field analyses of alkalinity. In most samples, laboratory pH was greater than field pH, laboratory specific conductance was less than field specific conductance, and laboratory alkalinity was equally likely to be less than, the same as, or greater than field alkalinity. Kruskal-Wallis tests of field and laboratory data grouped by north-south and east-west coordinates and by land use indicate that the difference between field and laboratory values is usually not enough to affect the outcome of the statistical tests. Thus, laboratory measurements of these constituents may be adequate for making certain regional water-quality interpretations, although they may result in errors if used for geochemical interpretations.