CT DEP Reasonable Confidence Protocols

Glen Breland, VP Member CT DEP QA/QC Workgroup

Reasonable Confidence Protocols

(RCPs) Overview

♦ Why develop the RCPs?

♦ What are the RCPs?

♦ What is Reasonable Confidence?

♦ What methods are affected?

♦ Some method highlights

♦ Lab Certification & Project Planning forms

♦ When does this take affect?

Reasonable Confidence Protocols

(RCPs) Overview

♦ Why develop the RCPs

• Ensure known & documented data quality

Reasonable Confidence Protocols

(RCPs) Overview

♦ What are the RCPs?

• Specific performance criteria for labs to follow

– Calibration, QC, Reporting

– Guidance on remedial action

• Based on the MCP model

Reasonable Confidence Protocols

(RCPs) Overview

♦ What is Reasonable Confidence?

• Phrase implies that data reviewer can have

confidence the lab has followed a set of guidelines which will generate data of consistent quality. Lab will

certify this fact.

• Reasonable Confidence will form the basis for the

data reviewer to asses usability

• Narratives are critical elements in assessing usability

CT RCP Methods

� 8260 – Volatiles by MS

� 8270 – Semi Vol by MS

� 8081 - Pesticides

� 8082 - PCB

� 8151 - Herbicides

� 8021 – Volatiles by GC

� Some air methods

�TO 14

�TO 15

�TO 17

� CT ETPH Petroleum

�Mass Methods for EPH & VPH

�Will soon be released

� 6010 – Metals by ICP

� 6020 – Metals by ICP/MS

� 7470/7471 - Mercury

� 7000 Series – Metals by AA

� 9010/9012/9014 - Cyanide

� Hex Chrome

� SPLP & TCLP

RCP Methods Overview

♦ Standard analyte lists

♦ RL equal to lowest cal standard

• ICP exception (check standard at RL)

♦ “B” flag required (“E” flag can be used)

♦ Batch MS/MSD not reported

♦ TICs only done on client request, except drinking

water

RCP Methods Overview

♦ Results below RL reported as “ND”

♦ Specific list of report deliverables

♦ Dilutions of highest analyte in upper 60% of cal

curve

♦ Soil/sediments on dry weight basis

RCP Method Performance Table

CT RCP Forms

♦ Pre-Project Planning Form

♦ Lab Certification Form

• 7 Questions

RCP Laboratory Certification Form

Important Dates

CT DEP Policy letter

Samples collected after Sept 1, 2007

Must follow RCPs or prove equivalency

Soil preservation requirement: 5035

• March 1, 2006

♦ All soils collected after this date must follow the

guidance document for collection and

preservation of soils for volatile analysis

Evaluating Data Usability

Data of known quality should be used to support

decisions that relate to a site’s data quality

objectives (DQO) or the original intended

purpose of obtaining the data

How do we know the quality of the data?

QUALITY CONTROL INFORMATION

Quality Control Information

♦ Why Do I Need It?

• Because we don’t know the sample’s true value or

“what’s in the jar”

♦ We Do Know (or we are just learning) That:

• All measurement systems have bias

• Bias can be negative or positive from the true value

• Bias can be attributed to many factors

– Sample related

– Measurement related

Quality Control Information

♦ What is a matrix spike and how does it differ

from a surrogate spike and why do I care?

♦ Why are duplicates important?

♦ Do I really need a trip blank and when I get it

what does it tell me?

♦ Why does the lab report include a laboratory

control sample (LCS)?

♦ How do I use all of the above to evaluate if the

data is usable?

Basic QA/QC Concepts

♦ Quality Assurance (QA) is a set of general principles designed to establish the reliability of (in this case) a measurement system. Precision, accuracy and sensitivity are several of these principles

♦ Quality Control (QC) defines the specific tools which are used to achieve this measurement reliability. Duplicates and spikes are two of these tools

DUPLICATES

METHOD BLANKS

MATRIX

SPIKES

SU

RR

OG

ATES

DETECTION

LIMIT

S

�Precisionrecision

�Accuracyccuracy

�Representativenessepresentativeness

�Completenessompleteness

�Comparabilityomparability

�Sensitivityensitivity

Quality Assurance Principles

Applying Concepts

♦ Understanding QA concepts is key to

performing a data usability assessment

• Precision: duplicates

• Accuracy: recoveries, blanks

• Sensitivity: methods, matrix issues, DQOs,

regulatory criteria

Connecticut DEP RCP Summary

♦ Standardized Methods – The RCPs

• Some labs require you specifically request these

methods

• Must be performed for samples collected after

September 1, 2007 (or prove equivalency)

♦ Reasonable Confidence

♦ Data Usability