An essential component of a detection ground-water monitoring plan is the establishment of a program for the statistical evaluation of ground-water chemistry data. The objective of such a data evaluation program is to assess whether there is statistically significant evidence of ground-water contamination, based on the indicator parameters for the site being monitored. The occurrence of false conclusions of evidence of contamination (Type I errors) or failures to detect contamination when it actually is present (Type II errors) is minimized by the use of appropriate indicator parameters.
This book explains the statistical methods used to analyze the huge volume of data that groundwater monitoring wells produce in a comprehensive manner accessible to engineers and scientists who may not have a strong background in statistics. In addition, the book provides statistical methods to make the most accurate use of the data and shows how to set up an effective monitoring system.
A new edition of the most comprehensive overview of statistical methods for environmental monitoring applications Thoroughly updated to provide current research findings, Statistical Methods for Groundwater Monitoring, Second Edition continues to provide a comprehensive overview and accessible treatment of the statistical methods that are useful in the analysis of environmental data. This new edition expands focus on statistical comparison to regulatory standards that are a vital part of assessment, compliance, and corrective action monitoring in the environmental sciences. The book explores quantitative concepts useful for surface water monitoring as well as soil and air monitoring applications while also maintaining a focus on the analysis of groundwater monitoring data in order to detect environmental impacts from a variety of sources, such as industrial activity and waste disposal. The authors introduce the statistical properties of alternative approaches, such as false positive and false negative rates, that are associated with each test and the factors related to these error rates. The Second Edition also features: An introduction to Intra-laboratory Calibration Curves and random-effects regression models for non-constant measurement variability Coverage of statistical prediction limits for a gamma-distributed random variable, with a focus on estimation and testing of parameters in environmental monitoring applications A unified treatment of censored data with the computation of statistical prediction, tolerance, and control limits Expanded coverage of statistical issues related to laboratory practice, such as detection and quantitation limits An updated chapter on regulatory issues that outlines common mistakes to avoid in groundwater monitoring applications as well as an introduction to the newest regulations for both hazardous and municipal solid waste facilities Each chapter provides a general overview of a problem, followed by statistical derivation of the solution and a relevant example complete with computational details that allow readers to perform routine application of the statistical results. Relevant issues are highlighted throughout, and recommendations are also provided for specific problems based on characteristics such as number of monitoring wells, number of constituents, distributional form of measurements, and detection frequency. Statistical Methods for Groundwater Monitoring, Second Edition is an excellent supplement to courses on environmental statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of biostatistics, engineering, and the environmental sciences who work with statistical methods in their everyday work.
This book covers water quality indices (WQI) in depth – it describes what purpose they serve, how they are generated, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how to make the best use of them. It is a concise and unique guide to WQIs for chemists, chemical/environmental engineers and government officials. Whereas it is easy to express the quantity of water, it is very difficult to express its quality because a large number of variables determine the water quality. WQIs seek to resolve the difficulty by translating a set of a large number of variables to a one-digit or a two-digit numeral. They are essential in communicating the status of different water resources in terms of water quality and the impact of various factors on it to policy makers, service personnel, and the lay public. Further they are exceedingly useful in the monitoring and management of water quality. With the importance of water and water quality increasing exponentially, the importance of this topic is also set to increase enormously because only with the use of indices is it possible to assess, express, communicate, and monitor the overall quality of any water source. Provides a concise guide to WQIs: their purpose and generation Compares existing methods and WQIs and outlines strengths and weaknesses Makes recommendations on how the indices should be used and under what circumstances they apply
Groundwater quality monitoring and testing is of paramount importance both in the developed and developing world. This book presents a series of papers illustrating the varied nature of current research into groundwater quality. Urban and rural supplies are covered through a case history approach, and the importance of remedial action to prevent deterioration is emphasized.
This volume contains selected papers from the ``Workshop on the Statistical Aspects of Water Quality Monitoring'', held on October 7-10 1985, at the National Water Research Institute in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The prime objective of the Workshop was to generate interaction between the statistical community and scientists working in the area of Water Quality Monitoring. To this end, topics covered in this Workshop fall into two categories: (1) Methods Development, and (2) the Imaginative Application of Existing Methodologies. Subjects covered include: Time Series, Estimation of Loading, Clustering, Model Development, Censoring Data Analysis, Quality Control and Data Acquisition. In the area of environmental sciences, statistical applications are still in their infancy, with few attempts to systematically develop techniques dealing with environmental issues. The publication of this book is one step towards identifying appropriate statistical techniques and diagnosing problems in Water Quality Monitoring which require new statistical methodologies. The papers presented in this volume represent international expertise, consolidating detailed information on both conventional and new methods.
