Use of Expert Systems for Water Monitoring Larry Keith Instant Reference Sources, Inc. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, NEMI and NEMI-CBR NThe National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) is a database of methods applicable for monitoring water for chemical and microbiological pollutants. u Online searches at u Endorsed by ACWI in 2001 NNEMI-CBR is a database of methods applicable for anti- terrorism use with chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) agents. uPassword protected secure database uses NEMI algorithms to save time and money. NExpert systems have been developed to help support the use of both databases.

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, What is an Expert System? N An expert system is an interactive computer program that incorporates the knowledge of one or more people into a series of decision trees so that answers (as advice) to specific questions are the same ones that a human would give. N Advantages include: u Help and advice when a human expert isn’t available u Answers are consistent (versus human answers) u Ensures that all important factors are considered so that none are forgotten during decision making u Get right to answers needed quickly and efficiently

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Water Monitoring Expert Systems N Two expert systems for water quality monitoring have been produced: u Environmental Monitoring and Measurement Advisor (EMMA) - produced in 2002 under a NSF SBIR grant. 4 Supports the National Environmental Monitoring Index (NEMI) 43 modules: 1 Planning What, When, Where, & How; 2 Selecting best method(s); 3 Calculates numbers of samples needed 4 NSF grant required a commercial product but the second module is free to use at 4 EPA and USGS implementing a CRADA with the developer u EPA’s Water Anti-Terrorism Expert Response (WATER) 4 Support to NEMI-CBR database of methods for anti-terrorism 4 Planning for Methods Selection, Site Entry and Water Sampling

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Why WATER is Needed NMethods for each kind of agent (chemical, biological or radiological) vary greatly from each other by sample collection techniques, sample preparation, instruments used for analysis, and analytical protocols (i.e., methods). NPublic and/or private labs, utility and lab managers are not often familiar with CBR methods and the special protocols, requirements, and dangers that CBR samples pose. NTwo scenarios are possible and both must be covered: uFirst - selecting the best methods for typical monitoring and/or analyte or organism confirmation. u Second - selecting the best methods for an emergency situation where the identity of the suspect analyte or organism may or may not be known.

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, How WATER Supports NEMI-CBR N Used for planning and training as well as supporting searches for best methods uProvides advice, information, report forms, etc. for special procedures involving initial evaluations, pre- entry activities, sample planning, sampling, and sample packaging and shipping when CBR agents may be present in water samples. uRecommends methods appropriate for emergency use or for monitoring and confirmation of target analytes and, just as importantly, recommends when particular methods in the NEMI-CBR database are not appropriate for a specific use. uProvides advice and information for finding methods when analytes are not known in an emergency.

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Three “Planes” of Information uThe top level "Executive/Emergency Plane" 4 Gives the user advice and answers for his or her specific needs as quickly as possible. uThe second level "Educational Plane" 4Provides explanations and ancillary information to help users to understand what is being asked of them, why it is being asked, and what the consequences of their actions may be. uThe third level "Research Plane" 4 Reached by internal and external hyperlinks from the second plane - contains extensive in-depth discussions and links to other web sites such as those of US EPA, CDC, CIA, USGS, etc.

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Planes of Information Illustrated

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Dual-Screen Viewing N Special programming is used to provide two “frames” for viewing the expert system. uThe expert system question and answer software appears in a left screen frame. 4 It drives a particular project planning or training session though its questions and “decision trees” that provide advice and answers. u Associated with each question is information on what, why, when, where, how, etc. in the right screen frame.

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Example of Dual Screen Use Expert System SideExplanation Box Side

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, WATER and NEMI-CBR are Complimentary WATER - Designing Monitoring Projects Based on Objectives, Site Situation, Time Frame, and Use (Planning, Training, or Method Selection). NEMI - CBR Method Selection

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Expert Systems for Monitoring Framework Areas Areas Currently Partly Covered by EMMA and/or WATER Areas Remaining to be Covered

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, How Expert Systems Could Support Water Monitoring NIncorporate the algorithms already developed from NSF and EPA funding into a comprehensive expert system used for planning, training, and execution of water monitoring projects. uSpecial features would include dual screen viewing and multi-level depth of information given as a user desires u Development would incorporate knowledge of experts versed in many areas for multi analytes and organisms uProduct would cover all areas of the Water Quality Monitoring Framework

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Advantages of Developing an Expert System for Water Monitoring Projects NProduct would be freely available from an Internet site NProduct would facilitate consistant and comparable data quality across many different organizations and programs NUpdates and information expansion easily accomodated NAll important factors in planning and executing a project would be considered and documented NMore cost-effective project plans would result NProject plans would always fit available budgets NHelp would be available when experts are not NTraining would be facilitated using built-in links and forms

Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Herndon, VA September 9, Demonstration EPA’s WATER Expert System will be demonstrated