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Procedures for Detection and Quantitation
Technical Workgroup
Federal Advisory Committee on Detection and Quantitation Approaches and Uses in Clean Water Act (CWA) Programs
Summary of Technical Work Group Conference Call #14
November 21, 2005
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
- Action Items
- Welcome and Introductions
- Draft Meeting Summary
- Blank Subtraction Issue
- Approval of Technical Work Group Products
- Discussion of Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Procedures
- Public Comment
- Wrap-up and Closing
- Attendance
- Back to Technical Workgroup home page
The next Technical Work Group call is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM EDT.
Action Items
Richard Burrows will draft a sentence qualifying the use of analytical methods in the pilot test for the Single-lab Subgroup progress report.
A subgroup was asked to draft an issue paper on whether a procedure should require laboratories to report its lowest possible number or report the lowest number that also meets its measurement quality objectives. Members of the subgroup include:
- Richard Burrows
- Larry LaFleur
- Cliff Kirchmer
- Richard Reding
- David Kimbrough
David Kimbrough will draft an issue paper outlining the blank subtraction issue for the federal advisory committee. This will be discussed at the November 30, 2005 Technical Work Group meeting.
Triangle will:
- Format the Technical Work Group products for distribution to the federal advisory committee.
- Revise the glossary of terms for distribution to the federal advisory committee.
Welcome and Introductions
Robert Wheeler, facilitator, welcomed participants to the call at 4:00 PM EST. He conducted a roll call of Technical Work Group members and observers, and briefly reviewed the agenda for the meeting. Mr. Wheeler emphasized the purpose of the meeting was to approve products for the December federal advisory committee meeting. He added that the group would also discuss the issue of allowing for blank correction.
Draft Meeting Summary
Mr. Wheeler asked for comments to the draft November 16, 2005 Technical Work Group meeting summary. Comments particularly focused on the discussion summarized on pages 2-3, regarding the issue of blank correction. After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Wheeler suggested Triangle revise that section of the draft summary based on comments from the group, and approve the summary at the November 30 meeting. Technical Work Group members agreed to that approach.
Blank Subtraction Issue
The group discussed at length the issue of allowing for blank subtraction. There are two components to the issue of blank subtraction:
- (a) defining LC in terms of zero versus a blank; and
- (b) allowing for blank correction in analytical methods.
The focus of the discussion was whether it was important to solve one or both of these components in order to move forward with designing a pilot study.
Most members felt that the component of defining LC was an important one for the federal advisory committee to consider before moving forward with the pilot study design. While the other component is an important issue, it is not one that should necessarily prohibit developing a pilot study.
Mr. Wheeler summarized the discussion by saying the group agreed to the importance of bringing the issue of blank subtraction to the federal advisory committee for its consideration. David Kimbrough agreed to draft an issue paper outlining the issue, the pros and the cons for the Technical Work Group to discuss at the November 30 meeting with the intent of sending an issue paper to the federal advisory committee.
Approval of Technical Work Group Products
Mr. Wheeler said there are five products from the Technical Work Group that needed to be sent to the federal advisory committee. Those five products are:
- Revised Description of Matrix Characteristics (approved 16 November 2005)
- Draft Pilot Study Purposes and Objectives
- Single-lab Pilot Study Design Progress Report (PDF, 4 pages, 19 kB)
- Multi-lab Pilot Study Design Progress Report (PDF, 3 pages, 19 kB)
- Glossary of Terms
Members approved all of the products for distribution to members of the federal advisory committee. Before doing so, they agreed to the following changes in the draft products:
- Add a caveat to Single-lab Subgroup report that not all the analytical methods listed would need to be tested in a pilot study.
- Remove two references to an RDL definition, and revise the Censored Method definition in the Glossary of Terms.
Discussion of Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Procedures
Mr. Wheeler briefly explained that the issue of a prescriptive versus descriptive procedure originally brought up by the Single-lab Subgroup, and detailed in its progress report was also considered in Policy Work Group discussions. He said the Policy Work Group concluded its 21 November 2005 conference call by asking that the issue be brought back to the Technical Work Group and that members frame the issue for the federal advisory committee.
A subgroup of Technical Work Group members was asked to draft an issue paper framing the issue of prescriptive versus descriptive procedures, based from a draft by Richard Burrows. Many members commented that the original issue brought up by the Single-lab Subgroup has morphed to now include the question of whether an LD is even needed. That issue will be included in the new subgroup issue paper. Mr. Wheeler asked the subgroup to convene a conference call for Monday, November 28 to discuss the draft issue paper. The full Technical Work Group will discuss it at the November 30 meeting with the intent of sending an issue paper to the federal advisory committee.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Wrap-up and Closing
The dates and times (all are EST) of future Technical Work Group meetings are as follows:
- Wednesday, November 30 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Prepare presentation approach for federal advisory committee meeting and finalize two issue papers
- Wednesday, December 14 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 4, 2006 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 18, 2006 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Wheeler briefly noted the action items from the call, and said the agenda for the next call was to prepare an approach for presenting the Technical Work Group products at the December federal advisory committee meeting. He said the group would also discuss the two issues deferred until the next meeting: blank subtraction and prescriptive versus descriptive procedures. He thanked Technical Work Group members for their time and closed the meeting at 5:35 p.m. EST.
Attendance
Technical Work Group Members
- States: Cliff Kirchmer and Bob Avery
- Environmental Laboratories: Richard Burrows and Steve Bonde
- Environmental Community: Richard Rediske
- POTWs: Jim Pletl, David Kimbrough, and Ken Osborn
- Industry: Larry LaFleur and John Phillips
- US EPA: Richard Reding (Office of Water) and Brad Venner (Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance)
- Other Federal:
Triangle Associates: Derek Van Marter and Robert Wheeler
Observers
- Ken Miller (Consultant to EPA Office of Water)