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Complete Article from Edition 46 APG eNewsletter
Article written by Michael Haller, APGQA.com Lead Developer, Analytical Products Group
The Advantage Reporting System recently marked its one year anniversary. Over that
time, the Analyte Trend Report has become one of the most popular reports.
We have received many comments about the Analyte Trend Report, and APG
certainly appreciates the feedback that you have provided. There was one
common request. Can I see the analyte trend for a specific method?
APG initiated the Method Review Project because of your feedback.
Comparing Apples to Apples
Method identification creates an entirely new way of looking at
laboratory data. It is a fact that different methods are expected
to receive different results. So why do reports include all
methods? They include all methods because it is very difficult to
provide anything else. The APG Advantage Reporting Analyte Trend
Report provides the first tool for laboratories to filter results
by method.
The Next Frontier
Identifying methods is not an easy task. For example, there are
326 different ways that participating labs have reported EPA 200.7
since 1999. There are 194 different ways that participating labs
have reported EPA 150.1 since 1999. These examples do not mean
that laboratories are reporting data incorrectly. In fact, the
are generally meeting requirements because there was no
formatting standard for methods – simply a method must be reported.
A Step in the Right Direction
NELAC's method code requirement is an excellent attempt at
identifying methods. However, not all labs are NELAC labs
and method codes have only been required for a few years.
Taking a quick look at the most recent pt results, method code
is a populated 97% of the time for Soils, 85% of the time for
drinking water and 80% of the time for wastewater. Not bad
but not sufficient either.
| Study |
Method Code Included |
| Feb 2006 WP |
84% |
| Jan 2006 WP |
80% |
| Jan 2006 WS |
86% |
| Nov 2005 WS |
82% |
| Jan 2006 Soils |
97% |
| Oct 2005 Soils |
96% |
In truth, thorough method identification seemed like an
unobtainable project six month ago. It has become a
reality since the completion of a major APG project to
group reported methods since 1999.
Reviewing the Analyte Trend Report by Method
The Advantage Reporting Analyte Trend provides a
listing of all methods that you have reported for
the analyte. Simply select a method and only the
results for that method are displayed. Refer to
the newsletter article "Analyte Trend"
for the basics of the Analyte Trend Report.
What's Next
A subsequent article will discuss the Method Review Page
which is the cornerstone of the APG Method Review
project. The Method Review Page is currently available
to APG customers as part of the Advantage Reporting System.
For additional information or to schedule a demonstration, please
contact Mike Haller via email at m.haller@apgqa.com or call
me at 800.272.4442.
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