Proficiency Testing Updates

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Proficiency Testing Updates

• Susan E. Butts
• SCDHEC
• Office of Environmental Laboratory Certification
• August 21, 2008

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Proficiency Testing Program Overview

• Currently, Water Supply (WS) and Water Pollution
  (WP) studies are required annually for
  certification for drinking water and wastewater.
• The annual DMRQA study is required for all major
  dischargers and select minor dischargers.

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Proficiency Testing Program Overview

• Parameters and acceptance criteria are determined
  by the The NELAC Institute (TNI) PT Board.
• PT providers are approved through TNI using A2LA
  as the accrediting authority

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Proficiency Testing Program Overview

• The laboratory must participate in a study that
  begins and ends within the calendar year.
• The PT results must be received in our office
  from the PT provider by December 31st of the
  calendar year.

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Proficiency Testing Providers

• Currently there are 7 PT providers approved by
  A2LA
• Absolute Standards
• Analytical Products Group, Inc. (APG)
• Environmental Resource Associates (ERA)
• Microcheck Inc. (Microbiological PTs only)
• NSI Solutions, Inc.
• Resource Technology Corporation (RTC)
• Wibby Environmental

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Proficiency Testing Reporting

• Remember to ask the PT Provider to submit the
  results to South Carolina.
• Many PT reports last year were never received
  because SC was not selected as a recipient.
• Dont forget to include your EPA Lab Code and SC
  Laboratory ID number on the reports.

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Proficiency Testing Reporting

• Methods Update Rule (MUR) and reporting outdated
  methods
• If you report an outdated method, e.g. EPA Method
  405.1 for BOD instead of SM 5210B, then you will
  be sent a letter notifying you that you have
  reported incorrect methods.
• We are accepting these methods this year, but
  will be enforcing the new methods next year.

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Proficiency Testing Reporting

• Edition of Standard Methods
• Be sure to compare your certificate with the
  Edition of Standard Methods you are using.
• If your certificate has not been updated, SOPs
  will need to be submitted to make the change to
  the correct revision.
• If the incorrect edition is noted on the PT study
  results, you may receive a letter notifying you
  that there is a discrepancy.

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Proficiency Testing Records

• You must record all proficiency testing results
  as you would a sample
• These results must be maintained on file a
  minimum of 3 years
• We are reviewing PT records during on-site
  evaluations

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Proficiency Testing Evaluation Results

• Reporting results incorrectly
• Not maintaining PT records
• Not treating PT as regular sample

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Water Supply Updates

• Effective January 1, 2009, new tables are
  available which include PTs for the enumeration
  of E. Coli and fecal coliform.
• Also includes stringent criteria for the make-up
  of the 10 sample set for the P/A PTs.

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Water Supply Updates

• Discussion by TNI PT Board for changes to the
  acceptance criteria for the WS microbiological
  samples to change to reporting 10 out of 10
  correctly.
• Currently, the criteria is to report 9 out of 10
  correctly with no false negatives.

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Water Pollution Updates

• Also Effective January 1, 2009
• Added E. Coli as a PT requirement.
• Since fecal coliform is still the water quality
  indicator for SC, the fecal coliform sample must
  still be used.
• Added extra PCB sample back into the PT sample
  design

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DMRQA
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DMRQA

• Our office submits a list of DMRQA participants
  to EPA
• DMRQA is governed by EPA, we are only the state
  coordinator for EPA
• All DMRQA participants receive their DMRQA packet
  in the mail from EPA
• Please note that this does not necessarily go to
  the laboratory it goes to the permit holder for
  the facility.
• Problem this year with receiving DMRQA packets

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DMRQA UpdatesChanges for DMRQA Study 29

• Chris Gorder is no longer working on DMRQA
• Any questions must be addressed to Patrick Yellin
  with the USEPA
• Address Verification Forms will no longer be
  required to be submitted

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DMRQA Things to Remember

• You are to use the same method for submitting the
  results as you utilize for your monthly DMRs
• Please reference the permit number on ALL
  correspondence including the corrective action
  report

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DMRQA

• What needs to be included in the ungraded data
  package?
• Permittee Data Report Form
• Ungraded results for all laboratories including
  all contract labs.
• Completed checklists identifying the parameters
  for the permit

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Permittee Data Report Form
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Permittee Data Report Form
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DMRQA Things to Remember

• The corrective action by the laboratory must
  entail reviewing the procedures and identifying
  the cause for the unacceptable results along with
  the participation in another study
• DMRQA samples must be analyzed by the same
  individuals and or laboratories that routinely
  perform the analysis for reporting on your DMR
• Your USEPA Lab Code is the prime identifier for
  the analytical results

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Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Proficiency Testing

• Currently, the only PT available for toxicity is
  the DMRQA study
• For part of the toxicity corrective action,
  submit a copy of the original data corresponding
  to the PT results.
• For commercial labs performing the toxicity PTs,
  have the PT provider submit a copy of the results
  to our office.
• The DMRQA final report is for the facility only
  and will only include the data if it is reported
  for the permit.

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Proficiency Testing Looking to the Future

• The TNI Proficiency Testing Board has approved
  tables for solid and hazardous waste parameters.
• Our certification program may decide to implement
  these tables.
• A new TNI Air PT Committee has been formed to
  develop PT standards for air.

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Proficiency Testing Looking to the Future

• A new subcommittee has been formed to develop new
  acceptance criteria for WET PTs.
• A Microbiological PT subcommittee has been formed
  to evaluate the acceptance criteria for
  microbiological PTs for WS and WP.

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Proficiency Testing PT Frequency

• Hot Topic for the TNI PT Board and Committees
• Changing the TNI PT requirement in the new
  standard from two out of three PT samples to
  requiring one per year.

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Future of DMRQA?

• Meeting between state DMRQA coordinators, PT
  Providers, A2LA, and EPA to discuss the future of
  the DMRQA Program
• EPAs funding has been cut for the DMRQA program
• Patrick Yellin is solely responsible for program
• EPA feels program should move toward focusing on
  lab proficiency, rather than DMR reporting

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Future of DMRQA?

• Everyone at the meeting was in agreement that
  changes need to be made
• Too much paperwork!
• Look for major changes to the DMRQA program may
  start with Study 29, but most likely Study 30.
• Possibly a subcommittee will be formed to
  determine the future direction of the study.

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Contact Information

• WS
• Alfred Baquiran
• [phone]
• baquiraj_at_dhec.sc.gov
• WP and DMRQA
• Susan Butts
• [phone]
• buttsse_at_dhec.sc.gov
• www.scdhec.gov/labcert

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Questions???