Quality-Assurance Plan for the Analysis of Fluvial Sediment by the U.S. Geological Survey Kentucky Water Science Center Sediment Laboratory Open-File Report 2005-1230 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Quality-Assurance Plan for the Analysis of Fluvial Sediment by the U.S. Geological Survey Kentucky Water Science Center Sediment Laboratory By Elizabeth A. Shreve and Aimee C. Downs Open-File Report 2005-1230 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ This report supersedes Quality-Assurance Plan for the Analysis of Fluvial Sediment by the Northeastern Region, Kentucky District Sediment Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-384. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. Suggested citation: Shreve, E.A., and Downs, A.C., 2005, Quality-Assurance Plan for the Analysis of Fluvial Sediment by the U.S. Geological Survey Kentucky Water Science Center Sediment Laboratory: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1230, 28 p. Contents Abstract..............................................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................1 Quality Assurance of Sample Management.......................................................................................................................1 U.S. Geological Survey Sediment Laboratory Analysis Request (SLAR) Form...............................................................2 Null Qualifiers ...............................................................................................................................................................4 Sediment-Sample-Bottle Label ......................................................................................................................................4 Sample Shipment and Storage .......................................................................................................................................5 Quality Assurance of Laboratory Equipment and Computer Software..............................................................................6 Balances .........................................................................................................................................................................6 Ovens .............................................................................................................................................................................6 Quality Assurance......................................................................................................................................................7 Conductivity Meter ........................................................................................................................................................7 Pipet-Method Equipment ...............................................................................................................................................7 Visual-Accumulation-Tube Equipment .........................................................................................................................8 Sieves.............................................................................................................................................................................8 Dry-Sieve Equipment.....................................................................................................................................................8 Decanting Equipment.....................................................................................................................................................8 Filtering Equipment .......................................................................................................................................................9 Computer Software ........................................................................................................................................................9 Quality Assurance of Laboratory Apparatus and Standard Solutions................................................................................9 Desiccators.....................................................................................................................................................................9 Sample Bottles ...............................................................................................................................................................9 Evaporating Dishes ......................................................................................................................................................10 Crucibles ......................................................................................................................................................................10 Deionized Water ..........................................................................................................................................................11 Specific-Conductance Standard Solutions ...................................................................................................................11 Quality Assurance of Analytical Procedures....................................................................................................................11 Concentrations .............................................................................................................................................................11 Login of Samples for Concentration Analysis .............................................................................................................12 Data Entry of Concentration Analyses.........................................................................................................................12 Quality-Control Measures for Data Entry of Concentrations.......................................................................................13 Analysis of Samples for Concentration........................................................................................................................14 Supplies and Equipment...........................................................................................................................................14 Filtration Method .........................................................................................................................................................14 Evaporation Method.....................................................................................................................................................14 Dissolved-Solids Correction Calculation.....................................................................................................................15 Quality-Control Measures............................................................................................................................................15 Sand/Fine Separations..................................................................................................................................................15 Data Entry for Sand/Fine Analyses..............................................................................................................................15 Quality-Control Measures for Data Entry of Sand/Fine Analyses...............................................................................16 Analysis of Samples for Sand/Fine Separation ............................................................................................................16 Supplies and Equipment...........................................................................................................................................16 Wet-Sieve Processing ..................................................................................................................................................16 Dissolved-Solids Correction Calculation.....................................................................................................................17 Quality-Control Measures............................................................................................................................................17 Login of Samples for Particle-Size Analysis ...............................................................................................................17 Computer Entry............................................................................................................................................................17 Particle-Size Analysis ..................................................................................................................................................17