Topic: Field Quality Assurance/Quality Control Practices

You think your sampling team does a good job in the field, but how can you be sure, and have the confidence that the results they produce are valid and defensible?  Learn how to ensure that your sampling practices are technically and legally defensible and how to prove to outside groups and auditors that the data being generated during a sampling event can be validated.  In the real world, a lot of attention is placed on ensuring that laboratory data are defensible and can be validated, but the same is not always true for field work.  The only way to have confidence in your ability to validate results of a sampling event is to have a strong field Quality Assurance/Quality Control program in place.  This module explains in detail how to implement an effective field QA/QC program, exactly what elements should be included in field QA/QC programs, and the importance of collecting a variety of field QC samples.  Field videos are included within this module to explain how to properly collect field QC samples during a ground-water sampling event.

Module GWM–17 (Total Length: 69 minutes) Price: $159.00 To Register, Sign in to Your E-School Account

Field Quality Assurance/Quality Control Practices for Ground-Water Sampling Events

• Understanding the Difference Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control
• Why Field QA/QC is so Important
• How much QA/QC do You Need?
• Typical Components of a Field QA/QC Program for Ground-Water Sampling
• Detailed Discussions of the Types of QC Samples to Incorporate Into a Ground-Water Sampling Event
  • Which QC Samples to Include for Ground-Water Sampling Events and Why
  • How to Correctly Collect QC Samples for Ground Water While Avoiding Common Errors in the Field

Total CEUs for Module GWM-017: 1.2 CEUs

Topic: The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling

Have you ever wondered if there is a better method than you are currently using for collecting more representative water-level data and ground-water samples from your wells?  Ever thought about all of the various sources of bias and error in water-level measurement and sample collection procedures and wondered how each could affect the data in your sampling program?  This series of 2 modules provides an in-depth discussion of how water-level measurement and ground-water sampling protocols have evolved over the years and how, through decades of research, modern sampling methods (when implemented properly) can yield vastly improved field data and more representative ground-water samples.  Learn how to anticipate and avoid the many potential sources of bias and error that may occur in water-level measurement and ground-water sampling programs, and what factors can affect the representative nature of the samples you collect.  Field videos are included within the first module to explain how to collect ground-water level measurements using several different methods.   While you may opt to take just one of these modules, it is strongly recommended that you take both modules in the prescribed order if you want comprehensive coverage of the subject.

Module GWM-18 (Total Length 80 minutes) Price: $159.00 Log in to Your E-School Account to Register

The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling (Part 1): Objectives of Ground-Water Sampling; The Importance of High-Quality Data; Uses of Water-Level Data; Water-Level Measurement Methods and Procedures; Recognizing and Avoiding Sources of Bias and Error in Water-Level Measurement

• Objectives and Purposes of Ground-Water Sampling
  • Collection of Representative Water-Level Data
  • Collection of Representative Water Chemistry Data
• The Importance of High-Quality Data in Ground-Water Sampling
  • Accuracy, Precision and Bias
• Ground-Water Level Data
  • Uses of Water-Level Data
  • General Methods for Water-Level Measurement
  • Water-Level Measurement Methods
  • Sources of Bias and Error in Water-Level Measurement

Total CEUs for Module GWM-18: 1.3 CEUs

Module GWM–19 (Total Length: 70 minutes) Price: $159.00 Log in to Your E-School Account to Register

The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling (Part 2): Sources of Bias and Error in Ground-Water Sampling; Conditions Under Which Ground Water Occurs; Factors Affecting the Representative Nature of Ground-Water Samples

• Sources of Bias and Error in Ground-Water Sampling
  • Purging Practices, Field Parameter Measurement, Ground-Water Sample Collection
• Definition of a “Representative” Sample
• Conditions Under Which Ground Water Typically Occurs
• Factors Affecting the Representative Nature of Ground-Water Samples
  • Sampling Point Placement, Design, Installation and Development
  • Formation and Well Hydraulics Between and During Sampling Events
  • Chemistry of the Water Column Above and Within the Well Screen
  • Well Purging and Sampling and Associated Issues

Total CEUs for Module GWM-19: 1.2 CE