LEADS/EMSLEADS/EMS
DATA VALIDATIONDATA VALIDATION
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WHAT IS VALIDATION?
From The Dictionary:
1a. To Make Legally Valid
1b. To Grant Official Sanction By Marking
• Validation Using LEADS Is A Process Of Data Review Followed By An Actual Marking Of The Data As Validated
• The Act Of Validating Data Is Restricted To Only Certain User Classes
• There Is An Automatic Audit Trail Entry Generated Every Time Data Is Validated
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Data Validation Is Required By Federal Regulations:
Air Quality Data Submitted For Each Reporting Period Must Be Edited, Validated, And Entered Into The AIRS-AQS For Updating Pursuant To Appropriate AIRS-AQS Procedures.
~ 40 CFR 58.35
WHY BOTHER WITH VALIDATION?
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VALIDATING DATA
• The Actual Act Of Validating Data With The Manual
Validation Interface Is Almost Trivial
• What Is Difficult Is Gathering All Of The Background And
Supporting Information That Allows The Data Validator To
Validate Data With Confidence
• This Has To Be A Collaborative Effort Between Everyone
Involved – Field Operators, QA Staff, Maintenance
Personnel, And Data Validators
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• Validate NAMS/SLAMS Data Using Available Data Screens
And Reports
• Provide Technical Support On Data Management Issues That
May Arise
• Document All Data Management Activities
• Receive, Process, And Send All Network Data To The EPA
AIRS Database
• Prepare NAMS/SLAMS Data Summaries
• Prepare Annual SLAMS Certification For EPA
VALIDATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
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• If Any Unusual Or Nonstandard Conditions Are Noticed By The
Field Operator, They Should Enter Any Pertinent Information In
The Electronic Operator Log
Then…
• Validators Review The Ambient Data, Electronic Logs,
Automatic Checks, And Quality Control Records To Determine
If There Is A Reason To Invalidate The Data
OPERATORS AND VALIDATORS
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How Can You Get The Highest Data Return Possible?
1. Field Operators Record Everything They Do That Might Affect
The Monitors In The Operator Log
2. Everyone Know And Follow The QAPP, SOPs, And Other
Training Materials
3. Maintain A Station Inventory And Keep The System
Configuration Up-To-Date
HIGHEST DATA RETURN
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• Operators Should Make A Log Entry Every Time They Do
Something At The Station – Including Just A Short “Well
Station” Visit
• Record Any PMI’s That Are Performed
• Record Any Pertinent Instrument Readings (Status, Mode, Etc.)
• Record The Cause Of Monitor Malfunctions And Automatic
Check Failures And What Was Done To Correct The Problem
• Record Whether Monthly Or Quarterly Audits And Verifications
Pass Or Fail – Include The Percentages
EFFECTIVE OPERATOR LOGS
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• Keep The Station Temperature Within The Established Limits –
Both Upper And Lower
• Monitor The Sites Closely – Do Not Let Instruments Drift Until
There Is A Failure
• Keep Communications Between The Field And The Data
Validator(s) Open
• Be Pro-Active And Aggressive In Isolating And Resolving
Problems And Issues – If A Problem Is Causing A Loss Of
Data, It Must Be Addressed With The Highest Priority
SITE OPERATION STRATEGIES
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• Establish A Quality Assurance Project Plan
• Develop And Implement Standard Operating Procedures
• Train Everyone On The QAPP And SOP’s
• Use The Quarterly (Or However Frequently The QAPP Calls For
Them) Audit Visits To Each Site To Verify That The QAPP And
SOP’s Are Being Used At Each Site
• Everyone Use The LEADS Tools – Including The Web Pages
And Manual Validation
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
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• Data Validation Is Dependent Upon The Correct QA And QC
Methods Having Been Complied With And The Validator
Notified
• If An Instrument Fails An Audit, The Data Collected Since The
Previous Audit May Be Invalid
DID YOU KNOW?
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• If The Calibrator Is The Cause Of An Automatic Check Failure,
That The Data Is Likely To Be Recoverable?
• Make An Entry In The Operator Log To Let The Data Validator
Know What Happened!
DID YOU KNOW?
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• An Equipment Problem Is Often First Evident In The 5 Minute
Data
• Data Is Compared Between Nearby Sites, And With Same-site
Parameters Which Correlate Inversely Or Proportionally
DID YOU KNOW?
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FINI
This Concludes Data Validation