Introduction to Chemical Monitoring: The Starters Toolkit Julie Vastine and Nicole Vecchione Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) Dickinson.

Introduction to Chemical Monitoring: Introduction to Chemical Monitoring:

The Starter’s ToolkitThe Starter’s Toolkit

Julie Vastine and Nicole VecchioneJulie Vastine and Nicole VecchioneAlliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM)Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM)

Dickinson College, Carlisle, PennsylvaniaDickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Mission StatementMission Statement To enhance local action for the protection and To enhance local action for the protection and

restoration of Pennsylvania watersheds by restoration of Pennsylvania watersheds by empowering communities with scientific knowledge empowering communities with scientific knowledge and tools to carry out watershed assessmentsand tools to carry out watershed assessments

To provide Dickinson College students with To provide Dickinson College students with opportunities to participate in community-based opportunities to participate in community-based participatory research thereby enhancing the quality participatory research thereby enhancing the quality of undergraduate science education, and of undergraduate science education, and

To strive to be the leader in volunteer monitoring in To strive to be the leader in volunteer monitoring in Pennsylvania and a national model for college-Pennsylvania and a national model for college-community partnershipscommunity partnerships

The Alliance for Aquatic The Alliance for Aquatic Resource MonitoringResource Monitoring

educate.engage.

empower.

What is a Service Provider?What is a Service Provider?

A Service Provider is an organization of A Service Provider is an organization of experienced, trained, professional scientists, and experienced, trained, professional scientists, and policy experts who provide programmatic and policy experts who provide programmatic and scientific assistance to watershed organizations. scientific assistance to watershed organizations.

A Service Provider, through intensive mentoring, A Service Provider, through intensive mentoring, helps groups organize and define their goals.helps groups organize and define their goals.

Assistance is customized to each watershed group Assistance is customized to each watershed group to help them to achieve watershed goals via to help them to achieve watershed goals via workshops, presentations, and trainings.workshops, presentations, and trainings.

Pennsylvania Volunteer Pennsylvania Volunteer MonitoringMonitoring

Growing Greener Grants: Growing Greener Grants: 2000 – 2005 $650 million2000 – 2005 $650 million

1999 - 2001: 125 watershed groups1999 - 2001: 125 watershed groups

2004: over 300 watershed groups2004: over 300 watershed groups

How does Chemical Monitoring fit How does Chemical Monitoring fit into your Monitoring Study Design?into your Monitoring Study Design?

1. What are your organizations major objectives? 2. Why are you

monitoring?

3. How will you use the data?

4. What will you monitor?

5. How will you monitor?6. Where

will you monitor?

7. When will you monitor?

8. What are your QA/QC measures?

9. How will you manage & present the data?

10. Who will complete the tasks?

How does Chemical Monitoring fit How does Chemical Monitoring fit into your Monitoring Study Design?into your Monitoring Study Design?

1. What are your organizations major What are your organizations major objectives?objectives?

2.2. Why are you monitoring?Why are you monitoring?3.3. How will you use the data collected?How will you use the data collected?4.4. What will you monitor?What will you monitor?5.5. How will you monitor?How will you monitor?6. Where will you monitor?Where will you monitor?7. When will you monitor?When will you monitor?8.8. What are your Quality Control/Quality What are your Quality Control/Quality

Assurance Measures?Assurance Measures?9. How will you manage and present the data?How will you manage and present the data?10. Who will complete the tasks?Who will complete the tasks?

Connecting Data Use To Monitoring Connecting Data Use To Monitoring Study Design Study Design

What is your monitoring purpose?What is your monitoring purpose?

Who are your intended data users?Who are your intended data users?

The group collecting the dataThe group collecting the data (Tier A)(Tier A) The community/ stewardship (Tier B)The community/ stewardship (Tier B) The local governmentThe local government (Tier C)(Tier C) The State/Federal Government (Tier D)The State/Federal Government (Tier D)

What are your monitoring resources?What are your monitoring resources?

QA/QCQA/QC

Kits!Kits!

Match the Parameter with the ObjectiveMatch the Parameter with the Objective

Choosing the right equipmentChoosing the right equipment

www.lamotte.com www.hach.com

Field KitsField Kits

AdvantagesAdvantages Relatively inexpensiveRelatively inexpensive Fairly easy to useFairly easy to use Good results depending on the parameterGood results depending on the parameter

Field Kits Cont.Field Kits Cont.

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Color perceptionColor perception Time Time Awkward directionsAwkward directions Inconsistent results – especially with low Inconsistent results – especially with low

levelslevels

Types of kits availableTypes of kits available

HachHach Similar chemistry in their more expensive/ Similar chemistry in their more expensive/

sophisticated equipment as in their monitoring kitssophisticated equipment as in their monitoring kits Directions can be difficult to understandDirections can be difficult to understand Waste disposalWaste disposal

LamotteLamotte Directions are very easy to understandDirections are very easy to understand Have alternative kits to eliminate hazardous wasteHave alternative kits to eliminate hazardous waste

Quality Assurance/Quality Assurance/Quality ControlQuality Control

Making your data count!Making your data count!

Internal and External QA/QC measuresInternal and External QA/QC measures

Organization and PlanningOrganization and Planning

Sampling and AnalysisSampling and Analysis

Documentation! Documentation!

Internal and External QA/QCInternal and External QA/QC

Internal – Replicates Internal – Replicates Performed to provide a comparisonPerformed to provide a comparison Provides confidence in resultsProvides confidence in results CleanlinessCleanliness

External – Analysis with an outside LabExternal – Analysis with an outside Lab Split SamplingSplit Sampling

Time to play with monitoring Time to play with monitoring equipment!equipment!

The ToolkitThe Toolkit

How will you use your dataHow will you use your data Match the parameter with the objectiveMatch the parameter with the objective Choosing the right equipmentChoosing the right equipment Proper QA/QC measuresProper QA/QC measures Have fun!Have fun!