Introduction to Chemical Monitoring: The Starters Toolkit Julie Vastine and Nicole Vecchione Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Mission Statement To enhance local action for the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania watersheds by empowering communities with scientific knowledge and tools to carry out watershed assessments To enhance local action for the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania watersheds by empowering communities with scientific knowledge and tools to carry out watershed assessments To provide Dickinson College students with opportunities to participate in community-based participatory research thereby enhancing the quality of undergraduate science education, and To provide Dickinson College students with opportunities to participate in community-based participatory research thereby enhancing the quality of undergraduate science education, and To strive to be the leader in volunteer monitoring in Pennsylvania and a national model for college- community partnerships To strive to be the leader in volunteer monitoring in Pennsylvania and a national model for college- community partnerships

The Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring educate. engage. empower.

What is a Service Provider? A Service Provider is an organization of experienced, trained, professional scientists, and policy experts who provide programmatic and scientific assistance to watershed organizations. A Service Provider is an organization of experienced, trained, professional scientists, and policy experts who provide programmatic and scientific assistance to watershed organizations. A Service Provider, through intensive mentoring, helps groups organize and define their goals. A Service Provider, through intensive mentoring, helps groups organize and define their goals. Assistance is customized to each watershed group to help them to achieve watershed goals via workshops, presentations, and trainings. Assistance is customized to each watershed group to help them to achieve watershed goals via workshops, presentations, and trainings.

Pennsylvania Volunteer Monitoring Growing Greener Grants: 2000 – 2005 $650 million : 125 watershed groups 2004: over 300 watershed groups

How does Chemical Monitoring fit into your Monitoring Study Design? 1. What are your organizations major objectives? 2. Why are you monitoring? 3. How will you use the data? 4. What will you monitor? 5. How will you monitor? 6. Where will you monitor? 7. When will you monitor? 8. What are your QA/QC measures? 9. How will you manage & present the data? 10. Who will complete the tasks?

How does Chemical Monitoring fit into your Monitoring Study Design?

Connecting Data Use To Monitoring Study Design What is your monitoring purpose? What is your monitoring purpose? Who are your intended data users? Who are your intended data users? The group collecting the data(Tier A) The group collecting the data(Tier A) The community/ stewardship (Tier B) The community/ stewardship (Tier B) The local government(Tier C) The local government(Tier C) The State/Federal Government (Tier D) The State/Federal Government (Tier D) What are your monitoring resources? What are your monitoring resources? QA/QCKits!

Match the Parameter with the Objective

Choosing the right equipment

Field Kits Advantages Advantages Relatively inexpensive Relatively inexpensive Fairly easy to use Fairly easy to use Good results depending on the parameter Good results depending on the parameter

Field Kits Cont. Disadvantages Disadvantages Color perception Color perception Time Time Awkward directions Awkward directions Inconsistent results – especially with low levels Inconsistent results – especially with low levels

Types of kits available Hach Hach Similar chemistry in their more expensive/ sophisticated equipment as in their monitoring kits Similar chemistry in their more expensive/ sophisticated equipment as in their monitoring kits Directions can be difficult to understand Directions can be difficult to understand Waste disposal Waste disposal Lamotte Lamotte Directions are very easy to understand Directions are very easy to understand Have alternative kits to eliminate hazardous waste Have alternative kits to eliminate hazardous waste

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control Making your data count! Internal and External QA/QC measures Internal and External QA/QC measures Organization and Planning Organization and Planning Sampling and Analysis Sampling and Analysis Documentation! Documentation!

Internal and External QA/QC Internal – Replicates Internal – Replicates Performed to provide a comparison Performed to provide a comparison Provides confidence in results Provides confidence in results Cleanliness Cleanliness External – Analysis with an outside Lab External – Analysis with an outside Lab Split Sampling Split Sampling

Time to play with monitoring equipment!

The Toolkit How will you use your data How will you use your data Match the parameter with the objective Match the parameter with the objective Choosing the right equipment Choosing the right equipment Proper QA/QC measures Proper QA/QC measures Have fun! Have fun!