Which of the following is an advantage of composite sampling?

Which of the following is an advantage of composite sampling?

• A. Lower cost per surface sampled
• B. Increased surface area that can be wiped for the same cost
• C. Higher analytical complexity
• D. More labor-intensive

Answer: (A)

Composite sampling works by combining multiple small wipe samples from different surfaces into one analyzed sample. The big win here is cost efficiency: instead of paying for a separate laboratory analysis for each surface, you pay for fewer analyses that represent several surfaces. This lowers the cost per surface sampled, letting you survey more areas within the same budget. It’s important to note that this gives an average result across those surfaces, which can mask a high contamination on a single surface and may require follow-up sampling if the composite result is concerning. The other ideas describe effects that aren’t the primary advantage: increasing the total wipeable area for the same cost isn’t the core benefit, while higher analytical complexity or more labor-intensive work would be downsides rather than advantages.

Composite sampling works by combining multiple small wipe samples from different surfaces into one analyzed sample. The big win here is cost efficiency: instead of paying for a separate laboratory analysis for each surface, you pay for fewer analyses that represent several surfaces. This lowers the cost per surface sampled, letting you survey more areas within the same budget. It’s important to note that this gives an average result across those surfaces, which can mask a high contamination on a single surface and may require follow-up sampling if the composite result is concerning. The other ideas describe effects that aren’t the primary advantage: increasing the total wipeable area for the same cost isn’t the core benefit, while higher analytical complexity or more labor-intensive work would be downsides rather than advantages.