Application of EPA quality assurance procedures to a soil characterization study at the DOE Nevada Test Site
- Lockheed-Martin Environmental Systems and Technologies Co., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Raytheon Services Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
The transfer, modification, and application of well formulated and tested quality assurance (QA) procedures from one project to another deserves consideration. The use of a proven QA program design could result in cost savings and the collection of data with a greater degree of confidence. To test this thesis, a QA program, originally developed for large nationwide Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs, was adapted and implemented in a site characterization study at the Department of Energy (DOE) Nevada Test Site to ensure that laboratory data satisfied pre-determined measurement quality objectives (MQOs). The QA Program was adapted from EPA programs such as the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program, and to a lesser degree, the Comprehensive Environmental Recovery, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Program. The QA design adopted the batch or lot concept, in which samples are organized into groups of quality samples (non-blinds, blinds, and double-blinds), which were included in each batch to evaluate and control measurement uncertainty and to address sample preparation. Detectability was assessed using instrument detection limits and precision data for low-concentration samples. Precision was assessed using data from reference samples under a two-tiered system based on concentration ranges. Accuracy was investigated in terms of bias with respect to reference values. The results showed that QA concepts developed for previous nationwide EPA programs were successfully adapted for the site-specific DOE project.
- Research Organization:
- Raytheon Services Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC08-91NV10833
- OSTI ID:
- 253275
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NV/10833-33; CONF-960212-95; ON: DE96012337
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste management `96: HLW, LLW, mixed wastes and environmental restoration - working towards a cleaner environment, Tucson, AZ (United States), 25-29 Feb 1996; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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