How does the receptor being protected affect the use of composite sampling?
Provided that the sampling plan has been based upon the sampling site characteristics and the potentially exposed receptors, analysis of composite samples can result in better estimates of receptor exposure. Consideration must be given to the relationship between compositing and the receptor’s spatial or temporal use of the habitat. If the receptor has equal exposure over an area, then broad composites that cover the area in a representative way might be an appropriate and low cost approach to estimate exposure. Compositing that is suitable for one receptor may be totally inappropriate for another. If receptors with widely different home ranges are being assessed in the same area, then the compositing scheme must be designed to accommodate the receptor with the smallest home range. For example, compositing of sediment samples throughout a marsh would be appropriate to estimate exposure for mobile benthic fish, while compositing for frog tadpoles should be limited to sediment in shallow
