QA/QC FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT

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QA/QC FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT

• Unit 4 Module 13, Lecture 3

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Objectives

• Introduce Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs)
• What is a QAPP?
• Why is it necessary?
• Explain the processes to take when developing a
  QAPP
• Eight steps
• Discuss in detail elements to consider and
  include when developing a QAPP
• 24 elements

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Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP)

• QAPP guides
• the selection of parameters and procedures
• data management and analysis
• steps taken to determine the validity of specific
  sampling or analysis procedures

• The QAPP outlines the QC measures to be taken for
  the project.
• The QAPP is a project-specific QA document.

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QA for environmental measurement

• Why do we need quality assurance for
  environmental measurement?
• understand data reliability
• quantify areas of analytical uncertainty
• standardize measurement to allow for repeatable
  and comparable data across time and place

QA ensures that data will meet defined standards
of quality with a standard level of confidence
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Elements of a QAPP

• QAPP can be broken out into four areas of the
  project
• Project management
• Measurement and data acquisition
• Assessment and oversight
• Data validation and usability

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Establishing a QAPP

• What do you first do when establishing a QAPP?
• Consider the purpose of the investigation
• Compliance vs. background data, etc.
• Consider who is funding the investigation and who
  will use that data
• What rigor is desired / monetarily feasible?
• Will liability be an issue?

Summarize the purpose of your project
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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Establish a QAPP team
• Determine project goals objectives
• Collect background
• Determine project data requirements
• Develop implementation plans
• Develop SOPs
• Draft the QAPP, solicit feed back, revise and
  submit for approval
• Begin the project, evaluate and redefine QAPP

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Establish a QAPP team
• Include project stakeholders
• technical expertise in varying areas of the
  project
• Approval required by the governing agency?
• review agency website
• guidance document(s)

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Determine goals and objectives
• Why is the program being conducted?
• Compliance
• Gathering background
• How will the information gathered be used and who
  will use it?
• Identify all potential data users
• Will collected data be considered useable, and to
  what extent?
• Comparable to previous work
• Acceptable level of accuracy

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Collect background and redefine the project
• History of the site
• Sources of concern
• Previous investigations / collected data
• Site location and layout
• Geography and weather
• Watershed survey
• Access safety concerns
• Hazards
• Natural
• Manmade

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Design project sampling, analytical and data
  requirements
• What parameters will be monitored?
• How accurate will the data need to be?
• What are the Data Quality Objectives (DQOs)?
• Where will samples be collected and how will
  sites be chosen?
• When will sampling be implemented?
• What protocols will be used?
• How will data credibility be assured?

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Develop implementation plans
• Who will carry out the project tasks?
• Sampling, data management / evaluation, etc.
• When will the tasks be conducted?
• How much time will be allotted for each?
• Final report to be generated?

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Adopt or develop project-specific Standard
  Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Use industry existing SOPs when possible
• Consistency and usability of data
• Reference and cite sources
• Provide to the field crew as a manual of
  instructions

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Draft the QAPP, solicit feedback, and submit for
  final approval
• Use formats provided by the governing agency or
  client
• Generate a draft document and solicit feed back
  from agency or client prior to implementation
• Avoids costly mistakes
• Provide a final revised document to appropriate
  project stakeholders

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Steps taken to develop a QAPP

• Begin the monitoring program
• Implement the project as tasked and scheduled

• Evaluate and redefine the QAPP
• What does/ does not work?
• Revise as needed

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• The four parts and the elements listed under each
• Project Management (elements 1-9)
• Measurement and Data Acquisition (elements 10
  19)
• Assessment and Oversight (elements 20-21)
• Data Validation and Usability (elements 22-24)

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Project Management (elements 1-9)
• Title and Approval Page
• Table of Contents
• Distribution List
• Project / Task Organization
• Problem Identification and Background
• Project/Task Description
• Data Quality Objectives for Measurement Data
• Training Requirement/ Certification
• Documentation and records

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Management

• Title and Approval Page (element 1)
• Principal investigator(s)
• Project QA officer(s)
• Client Representative
• Table of Contents (element 2)
• Distribution List (element 3)

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Outline of elements in a QAPP Management

• Project / Task Organization
• (element 4)
• Who will participate?
• What are their roles?

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Management

• Problem Identification and Background (element 5)
  
• Investigation history
• Site specific
• Regional investigations
• Site background
• Setting rural / industrial
• Geography and climate
• Regional geology, surface water and groundwater

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Management

• Project/Task Description (element 6)
• What are the tasks?
• When will they take place?

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Outline of elements in a QAPP- Management

• Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) for Measurement
  Data (element 7)
• Minimum detection limits
• Requirements for detection range
• Training Requirement/
• Certification (element 8)
• Technical proficiency
• Health and safety

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Management

• Documentation and records (element 9)
• Field and Laboratory
• Raw data
• QC checks
• Field data sheets
• Lab forms
• Voucher collections

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Measurement and Data Acquisition (Sections 10
  through 19)
• Sampling Process Design
• Sampling methods requirement
• Sampling handling and custody requirements
• Analytical Methods requirement
• Quality Control Requirements

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Measurement and Data Acquisition (continued
  Sections 10 through 19)
• Instrument / Equipment Testing, Inspection, and
  maintenance requirements
• Instrument Calibration and Frequency
• Inspection/Acceptance Requirements for Supplies
• Data Acquisition Requirements
• Data Management

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Outline of elements in a QAPP Data

• Sampling Process Design (element 10)
• Type
• Location
• Frequency of samples
• Sampling period

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Sampling methods requirement (element 11)
• Parameter
• Methods
• Collection
• Equipment
• Preservation
• Refer to SOPs

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data
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Outline of elements in a QAPP -Data

• Sampling handling and custody requirements
  (element 12)

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Analytical Methods requirement (element 13)
• Standardized
• ASTM
• EPA
• State modified
• Field adapted
• Instrument manufacture specified

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Quality Control Requirements (element 14)
• field blank
• equipment or rinsate blank
• duplicate/replicate samples
• spiked samples
• split and blind samples

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Instrument / equipment testing, inspection, and
  maintenance requirements (element 15)
• Include schedule
• Instrument calibration frequency (element 16)
• Standards
• Frequency
• Inspection/acceptance requirements for supplies
  (element 17)

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Data Acquisition Requirements (element 18)
• Background information and data
• Previous investigations
• Topographic, geologic, hydrologic or
  hydrogeologic
• Other monitoring programs, groups or agencies
• Outside source data
• Specific weather conditions barometric pressure
  
• Note any limitations/questions on data quality

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Outline of elements in a QAPP - Data

• Data Management (element 19)
• Summarize all steps used in data collection and
  evaluation
• Completeness and accuracy
• Evaluation (computer hardware and softer)
• Minimization of errors
• Data entry
• Backup
• Storage

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Assessment and Oversight (elements 20-21)
• Assessment and Response Actions
• Reports
• Data Validation and Usability (elements 22-24)
• Data Review, Validation, and Verification
  Requirements
• Validation and verification of methods
• Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Assessment and Response Actions (element 20)
• Evaluation of players - audits
• external programs
• field staff
• data management
• Correction of problems
• Reports (element 21)
• Frequency, content, distribution

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Outline of elements in a QAPP

• Data Review, Validation, and Verification
  Requirements (element 22)
• Indicate what will be done and by whom
• Validation and verification of methods (element
  23)
• Indicate procedures to be used
• Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives
  (element 24)
• Determining if project objectives have been met

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References

• Some References on Environmental Quality
  Assurance Plans
• EPA 240/B-01-002 . EPA Requirements for Quality
  Management Plans (QA/R-2). March 2001.
  (http//www.epa.gov/quality1/qa_docs.html)
• EPA 240/B-01-003. EPA Requirements for QA
  Project Plans (QA/R-5). March 2001.
• EPA 430/9-86-004. Quality Assurance/Quality
  Control (QA/QC) for 301(h) Monitoring Programs
  Guidance on Field and Laboratory Methods. March
  1987. (NTIS / PB87-221164)
• EPA 440/4-91-002 . Volunteer Lake Monitoring.
  December 1991. (http//www.epa.gov/OWOW/monitori
  ng/volunteer/lake/index.html)

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