1. Background
  2. Data Collection Methods
  3. Data Quality Control
  4. Summary

Quality Control: methods

All methods should be documented in writing and described clearly to ensure that:

  1. Results can be reproduced.
  2. The same procedure is used by different project personnel.
  3. Samples are not contaminated by chemical analytes during collection and processing. Several quality control samples help to ensure accurate measurements. For example:
    1. Blanks (field and laboratory) - "clean" samples of the matrix to be collected, extracted and analyzed.
    2. Spiked samples - a known amount of a chemical analyte is added to a sample to determine how much is recovered during extraction and measured.
    3. Split or duplicate samples - results indicate the repeatability of the analytical method and measurement precision.