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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
- Action Items
- Welcome and Introductions
- Meeting Summary Approval
- Status Updates: Pilot Study and MMA Data
- Technical Work Group Schedule
- Normalized Matrix
- Matrix Effects Assignment from Policy Work Group
- Public Comment
- Wrap-up and Closing
- Attendance
- Back to Technical Workgroup home page
Summary of Technical Work Group Conference Call #40
October 11, 2006
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
The call-in number for all calls is 866 299-3188 and the participant code is 202 566 1045#. The schedule of future Technical Work Group conference calls is:
- October 25—Wednesday from 1:00–3:00 p.m., EDT
- November 8—Wednesday from 1:00–3:00 p.m., EDT
- November 22—Wednesday from 1:00–3:00 p.m., EDT
Action Items
Ken Miller will:
- Revise the normalized matrix and interpretations document based on the group's discussion.
John Phillps will discuss with Richard Reding the possibility/need of adding other analyses to the pilot study (e.g. normality testing).
Triangle will:
- Finalize the 9/27 meeting summary and send to EPA for posting to the web site.
- Send an email to the Technical Work Group asking for participants from each caucus to join a subgroup investigating the feasibility of making a recommendation on matrix effects to the committee.
- Consolidate presentations for the Procedures 101 topic at the December committee meeting.
Welcome and Introductions
Bob Wheeler, facilitator, welcomed participants to the call at 1:00 p.m., conducted a roll call of Technical Work Group (TWG) members and observers, and briefly reviewed the agenda for the meeting. He said the group would focus on the normalized matrix and corresponding interpretations for the majority of this meeting.
Meeting Summary Approval
Mr. Wheeler asked for comments to the draft September 27 meeting summary. There were no comments and the group approved the summary as drafted.
Status Updates: Pilot Study and MMA Data
Bob Wheeler asked Ken Miller to give the group an update on the status of the pilot study and analyses of the MMA data. Mr. Miller said that tomorrow, October 12, is the deadline for receiving analysis results of the ACIL procedure. He said that all participating labs should have also received prepared blank samples.
Mr. Phillips added that at the last meeting, he had committed to speaking with Richard Reding about adding additional analyses to the pilot study calculations, primarily around the distribution of the data. Since he had not had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Reding, he suggested carrying the action item forward.
Technical Work Group Schedule
Mr. Wheeler quickly reviewed the group's schedule of topics and upcoming meetings. He also asked the group whether there would be any conflicts with holding the meeting currently scheduled the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 22nd). The group agreed to keep the call on the schedule.
Normalized Matrix
Bob Wheeler briefly reviewed with the group the draft agenda for the evening presentations on December 6, 2006. Steve Wendelken asked where the evening presentation would be taking place and whether an LCD projector would be available. Mr. Wheeler said it was likely the presentation would take place in the same room that the committee would be meeting and that a projector would be available.
Mr. Wheeler then asked the group to turn their attention to the draft normalized matrix Ken Miller distributed via email prior to the call. He said that if the group could get through the normalized matrix, Triangle would use that information to revise the Procedures 101 presentation for consistency. He also said there were two guiding principles the group should consider when reviewing the responses in the matrix: (1) the committee document of what procedures need to do; and (2) the answers should be based on how the procedure is currently written.
Ken Miller began describing the updates he had made to the normalized matrix. In general, he made few changes since the last version in March 2006. Ken Osborn suggested that it appears an earlier version of the Lab QC procedure had been used to revise the matrix. Mr. Miller said he would confirm that the most recent version of the procedure was used and that if it was not, he would update the responses in the matrix.
The group continued the discussion by moving through each row (characteristic) in the matrix. The group discussed the differences between the old ACIL and Consensus Group procedures versus the new, combined detection and quantitation versions of those procedures. The group considered whether both the old and new versions needed to be included in the matrix, and concluded that they did in light of the possibility that the committee may at some point in the future reconsider its decision on the inclusion of LD in setting limits and establishing estimates.
The group offered minor modifications to both the characteristics and the responses within the matrix for various procedures. Bob Wheeler suggested that Triangle work with Ken Miller to incorporate revisions in the matrix and corresponding document interpreting the characteristics. The revised version will be sent to the TWG in advance of the October 25 conference call. Mr. Wheeler said that once the TWG has agreed to the responses in the matrix, Triangle will use the matrix to revise the Procedures 101 presentation.
Matrix Effects Assignment from Policy Work Group
Near the end of the call, Mr. Wheeler explained the Policy Work Group assignment to the TWG to examine matrix effects. Mr. LaFleur clarified that the Policy Work Group was aware of the current workload and was first asking the TWG to examine the feasibility of taking on matrix effects to develop a recommendation in time for December. If the TWG agreed it was feasible to do before December, there were two requests from the Policy Work Group for the subgroup to consider
Several TWG members were interested in participating in a subgroup to examine the feasibility of addressing matrix effects before December. Mr. Wheeler said Triangle would send an email to the entire TWG asking for nominations from each caucus to participate in the subgroup. Once all nominations were in, Triangle would set up a conference call to examine the feasibility of developing a recommendation on matrix effects before the December committee meeting.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Wrap-up and Closing
Mr. Wheeler summarized the items coming forward for the October 25 meeting:
- Update on pilot study; MMA data evaluation
- Normalized matrix
- Procedures 101
- Intermittent method blank contamination
- Matrix effects
- Definitions rationale
Mr. Wheeler thanked everyone for their time and adjourned the meeting at 3:05 PM, ET./p>
Attendance
Technical Work Group Members
- States: Tim Fitzpatrick
- Environmental Laboratories: Richard Burrows
- Environmental Community: Richard Rediske
- POTWs: Ken Osborn and Jim Pletl
- Industry: Larry LaFleur and John Phillips
- US EPA: Brad Venner (EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance)
Triangle Associates: Robert Wheeler and Derek Van Marter
Observers
- Ken Miller (Consultant to EPA Office of Water)
- Nicole Shao (EPA Office of Research and Development)
- Steve Wendelken (EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water)