Methods and Quality Assurance for Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Monitoring Programs CBP/TRS-319-17 May 2017 Acknowledgements This document is the product of the work and support provided by the CBP Data Integrity Workgroup (DIWG) and the Nontidal Workgroup. It was first published in 1996, under the name ‘Recommended Guidelines for Sampling and Analyses in Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program’. Since then the workgroups created and updated the methods to meet the changing needs of the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Monitoring Programs. Mary Ellen Ley, USGS/CBP QA coordinator, and workgroup members wrote the initial drafts, integrated the reviews, and finalized the document to ensure they represent the consensus of the Partner agencies. Durga Ghosh assisted in the final review process. The assembly and organization of the document was a result of the desktop publishing efforts of Melissa Merritt, Staffer, Chesapeake Resource Consortium. The Data Management and Reporting sections were written by Mike Mallonee, in association with Mary Ellen Ley, and Cindy Johnson. The Tidal Sampling Procedures were authored and assembled by members at the MD DNR, ODU, VIMS, and VA DEQ. The Non-tidal sampling procedures were made possible by the work of individuals at USGS, MD DNR, SRBC, ICPRB, and VA DEQ. The main contributors to the laboratory sections were from the UMCES CBL, PA DEQ, MD DHMH, ODU, VA DCLS, VIMS, VPI, and DE DNREC. Individual contributors and their affiliations are listed below: Ben Pressley, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DE DNREC) Mike Mallonee, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPBR) Martina McGarvey and Jim Yoder, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEQ) Kevin McGonigal, Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) Mary Ellen Ley, Melissa Merritt, Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Kim Blodnikar, Jerry Frank, Nancy Kaumeyer, Carolynn Keefe, Kathy Wood and Carl Zimmerman, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratories (UMCES CBL) Shahla Ameli and Asoka Katumulua, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Health Environmental Laboratory (MD DHMH) Sally Bowen, Kristen Heyer, Bruce Michael, William Romano, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR) Jay Armstrong and Bob Potts, Virginia Department of Consolidated Laboratories (VA DCLS) Matt Carter, Rick Hoffman, and Cindy Johnson, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) Betty Neikirk, and Carol Pollard, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) Mary Lou Daniels, and Dongmei Wang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI OWML) Suzanne Doughten, Lori Ann Tew, and Heather Wright, Old Dominion University (ODU) Doug Chambers, Durga Ghosh, Ken Hyer, Mike Koterba, Mike Langland, Mary Ellen Ley, Brenda Majedi, and Doug Moyer, USGS Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1-1 Section A. Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 1-2 1. Purpose of this Document ............................................................................................................... 1-2 2. Organization of this Document ....................................................................................................... 1-2 3. Quality Assurance Policies ............................................................................................................ 1-3z 4. Participation in CBP Workgroup Meetings .................................................................................... 1-4 5. State, Federal and Academic Participants ...................................................................................... 1-5 Section B. Summary of Requirements ......................................................................................................... 1-6 1. Task Areas ........................................................................................................................................ 1-6 2. Personnel Requirements ................................................................................................................. 1-8 3. Facilities ......................................................................................................................................... 1-10 4. Instrumentation and Equipment ................................................................................................... 1-11 5. Health and Safety Considerations ................................................................................................. 1-12 6. Other Federal and State Requirements ........................................................................................ 1-12 CHAPTER 2. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM ........................................................................................ 2-1 Section A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2-3 Section B. Quality Management .................................................................................................................. 2-4 1. Quality Management Systems ........................................................................................................ 2-4 2. Quality Management Plans ............................................................................................................ 2-4 3. Quality Assurance Project Plans .................................................................................................... 2-4 4. Laboratory Quality System and Quality Manual ........................................................................... 2-5 5. Standard Operating Procedures ..................................................................................................... 2-6 6. Procedural Change Authorization .................................................................................................. 2-7 7. Sampling Handling and Custody ................................................................................................. 2-10 8. Document Control ........................................................................................................................ 2-10 9. Consistency of Documentation ..................................................................................................... 2-11 10. Contingency Plans and Health and Safety Plans ......................................................................... 2-11 Section C. Data Quality Indicators and Objectives ................................................................................... 2-12 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2-12 2. Data Quality Indicators ................................................................................................................. 2-12 3. Performance Criteria (MQOs) for Field Methods ........................................................................ 2-13 4. Performance Criteria (MQOs) for Field Measurements .............................................................. 2-14 5. Performance Criteria (MQOs) for Laboratory Analyses .............................................................. 2-15 Section D. Field Quality Control................................................................................................................. 2-16 METHODS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR CBP WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMS III 1. Annual Calibration ......................................................................................................................... 2-16 2. Routine Calibration ....................................................................................................................... 2-16 3. Calibration Samples ....................................................................................................................... 2-16 4. Quality Indicators and Objectives for Field Measurements ........................................................ 2-17 5. Field Replicate Samples ................................................................................................................. 2-17 6. Field Blanks ................................................................................................................................... 2-18 7. Sampling Equipment Blanks ......................................................................................................... 2-19 Section E. External Performance Assessments ........................................................................................ 2-20 1. Split Sample Program – Interlaboratory Comparisons .............................................................. 2-20 2. Performance Testing ..................................................................................................................... 2-20 3. Audits of Data Quality ................................................................................................................... 2-21 4. On-Site Audits ................................................................................................................................ 2-21 Section F. Comparability Studies .............................................................................................................. 2-23 1. Background ..................................................................................................................................