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? With large environmental sampling programs, it is not unusual to have more than one sampling team from more than one company in the field collecting samples from different (or sometimes the same) media. When this is the case, you want to make sure the data generated in the field and in the lab are comparable. How do you do that? With sound field QA/QC procedures! 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. This module explains in detail how to implement an effective field QA/QC program designed for a variety of media, how to select the most meaningful QC samples for liquid and solid samples, how to correctly collect the chosen QC samples, how many to collect, and how to interpret the results. Several field videos cover proper procedures for collection of quality control samples for water and soil.

Module ES–05 (Total Length: 63 minutes) Price: $159.00 Register Using your E-School Account

Field Quality Assurance/Quality Control Practices for Multi-Media Environmental Sampling

• Understanding the Difference Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control
• Why Field QA/QC is so Important and How Much QA/QC do You Need?
• Determining Which QC Samples Should be Used for Which Media and Why
• Selecting Parameters to Run on QC Samples
• Detailed Discussions of the Types of QC Samples to Incorporate Into an Environmental Sampling Event
  • QC Samples for Liquids (e.g. Surface Water, Ground Water)
  • QC Samples for Solids (e.g. Soil, Sediment)
  • How to Correctly Collect QC Samples for Various Media While Avoiding Common Errors in the Field

• Determining How Many QC Samples to Collect

Total CEUs for Module ES-05: 1.1 CEUs

Environmental sampling events frequently involve collecting samples of a variety of different media for off-site analysis in a fixed laboratory. Your samples may have been collected using the highest degree of care, but your job is still not complete – the samples need to get to the laboratory in good condition, on time and in compliance with shipping regulations.   This module discusses options available for sample delivery to the laboratory, dealing with awkward environmental samples that pose shipping difficulties, and how to ship samples that are classified as being hazardous under shipping regulations. You will learn about tamper-proofing mechanisms that should be used in many projects to protect the physical and chemical integrity of samples and why U.S. EPA’s definition of “hazardous” does not necessarily agree with shipping regulation definitions of hazardous. Learn why you need to know about IATA and DOT shipping regulations and why you need to be certified to ship hazardous environmental samples.

Module ES–06 (Total Length: 70 minutes) Price: $159.00  Register via Your E-School Account

Environmental Sample Handling and Shipment

• Options for Getting Samples to the Laboratory
• Preparing for Sample Shipment
• Discussion of ASTM Standard D 6911 on Packaging and Shipping Environmental Samples for Laboratory Analysis
• Mechanisms to Protect Samples From Tampering During a Sampling Event and Shipment to the Laboratory
• Understanding the Role of Chain-of-Custody Forms – Their Purpose, When and How They Should be Completed
• Special Problems Encountered When Shipping Soil and Sediment Samples
• Overview of DOT and IATA Shipping Regulations and How These Regulations Affect Getting Samples to the Laboratory
• How to Correctly Pack a Cooler Containing Uncontaminated Samples for Delivery
• What Happens to Samples When They Arrive at the Laboratory

Total CEUs for Module ES-06: 1.2 CEUs