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Because the different ways in which the data will be used are not known, CEDEN accepts data of varying quality and relies on the users of the data to determine if the quality is stringent enough for their intended use. CEDEN provides information to assist data consumers in gauging the quality assurance activities of given project data.
Some projects include an evaluation and comparison of the data to measurement quality objectives, which are determined at the beginning of a project to ensure that the level of quality is high enough to meet the data quality objectives of the project. The quality assurance and quality control efforts of a project should be documented in a project’s Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). While CEDEN doesn’t store the plans themselves, users may find reference to a project’s QAPP on the project lookup list at http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=ProjectLookUp.
CEDEN does store results of data quality evaluation. These fields are summarized, below.
| Field | Definition | Link to Lookup Values |
|---|---|---|
| Result Level | ||
| Sample Type Code | Refers to the type of sample collected or analyzed. Default value equals Not Recorded if unknown. The sample type field indicates the type of sample the record represents including quality control samples that can be evaluated. | http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=SampleTypeLookUp |
| QA Code | Applied to the result to describe any special conditions, situations or outliers that occurred during or prior to the analysis to achieve the result. The default code, indicating no special conditions, is 'None'. Default value equals NR if unknown. If more than one code should be applied to a record, the convention is to list them in alphabetical order separated by commas and no spaces. | http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=QALookUp |
| Compliance Code | Unique code referencing the Compliance with the associated QAPP. Default value equals NR if unknown. | http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=ComplianceLookUp |
| Lab Result Comments | The lab results comments field stores information about the result that the laboratory and QA Officer note during data review. | See individual results. |
| Batch Level | ||
| Batch Verification Code | Unique code referencing the Verification of a Batch. | http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=BatchVerificationLookUp |
| Lab Submission Code | The LabSubmissionCode is a unique batch qualifier code assigned to the LabBatch as a whole by the analyzing laboratory which references the quality of the data in the LabBatch. The LabSubmissionCode should be reviewed by the Project Manager or other appropriate person to ensure that the code has been applied based on project specific data quality objectives and criteria. Default value equals NR if unknown. | http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=LabSubmissionLookUp |
| Lab/Tox Batch Comments | The batch comments field stores information about the batch that the laboratory and QA Officer note during data review. | See individual batches. |
If the data haven’t been reviewed for compliance with the project QAPP or meaningful values are not given for the fields above in the data set being used, the user may be able to evaluate the data themselves by looking at the results, lab and field replicates, and the associated batch quality assurance data. For example, if a batch’s field blank shows a high concentration of the analyte of concern, this may be an indication that samples were contaminated and the results not reliable.
The QA code is applied to the result to describe any special conditions, situations or outliers that occurred during or prior to the analysis to achieve the result. The default code, indicating no special conditions, is 'None'. Default value equals NR if unknown. If more than one code should be applied to a record, the convention is to list them in alphabetical order separated by commas and no spaces. The available lookup value options can be found at http://ceden.org/CEDEN_Checker/Checker/DisplayCEDENLookUp.php?List=QALookUp.
The appendix of each data category guidance document describes how the sample type codes and other fields are used to convey information about the samples analyzed along with the environmental sample to demonstrate the accuracy of the sampling and analysis protocols. Be sure to click the “Include QA Data” checkbox near the bottom of the CEDEN query tool to get these data points.
For data providers, it is important to note that for data to be fully considered in the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) listing and delisting process, data shall be of sufficient high quality to make determinations of water quality standards attainment as described in section 6.1.4 Data Quality Assessment Process of the Water Quality Control Policy for Developing California’s Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List.
This section describes that a QAPP, or equivalent, is required for quality data. QAPPs developed and complied with when collecting and analyzing data submitted to CEDEN can be submitted to the Water Board through the Integrated Report Document Upload Portal. If the QAPP is not received or cannot be associated with submitted data, the data will not be used as part of the 303(d)/305(b) assessment process.
For more information about quality assurance and quality control, see
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State Water Resources Control Board 1001 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814 |
