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| | Accrediting Authroity |
| | The territorial, state, or federal agency having responsiblity and accountability for environmental laboratory accreditation and which grants accreditation. (NELAC) |
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| | Advantage Training |
| | The Advantage Training Verification system allows you to link an analyst, SOP and analysis date to a proficiency testing or training sample. These data points can then be used to generate analyst deonstrations of capability (DOC). |
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| | Certifying Official |
| | The person listed on the organization`s NPDES permit that is to certify the data submitted to the PT provider. For DMRQA studies this person must sign the Permittee Data Return Form. Without this signature, the data cannot be entered by the PT Provider; hence no results will be reported by the PT Provider to the State/Regional DMRQA Coordinator. |
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| | Less Than Reporting |
| | The US EPA database cannot handle text results such as “BDL,” “ND,” “Non-Tested,” etc. Therefore, to receive credit for testing an analyte and determining a non-detect, you must report a less than value using the < symbol. The only way that the Evaluation will result in an “Acceptable” value is if the numeric part of the Reported Value (i.e. 8 if the Report Value were <8) is less than the upper limit of the EPA Acceptance Limit AND zero (0) is included in the EPA Acceptance Limit. Any other non-numeric value (i.e. BDL, ND, >10, etc.) cannot be evaluated and will return an Evaluation result of “Unusable.” This method of evaluation is consistent with the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045). |
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| | Method Code |
| | A code specified by NELAC to describe a method. Unless your Laboratory`s certification is with a NELAC State, a Method Code is not required. If your certification is with a NELAC State, APG will evaluate your data even without a Method Code, but the state may reject the data. If you use the Online Data Entry System, a complete list of NELAC Method Codes is available. Method Codes are reported in both Laboratory and State reports. Some State Certification programs use a unique Method Code or Parameter Code that may be reported in the Method Code box. |
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| | Method Description |
| | This is a 1 to 15 character alpha-numeric string that describes the method used to evaluate the sample. APG can only report 15 characters to the US EPA, therefore we will only enter the first 15 characters of your reported Method Description (does not include blank spaces). Although APG can process and report your results without a Method Description, we highly recommend you record this information. |
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| | Online Data Entry Code |
| | The unique 8 character alpha-numeric code assigned to a data reporting form or Data Return Booklet. They are located on the lower-right corner of the front cover of your PT Data Return Booklet or the bottom of second page of your DMRQA Reporting Forms. Online Data Entry Codes follow this format A1B2-C3D4 using a random selection of numbers and letters. |
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| | Sample Lot Number |
| | This is a unique number that identifies the sample that you received. Without this number for each sample tested we cannot evaluate your data. |
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| | Technology Code |
| | A code specified by NELAC to describe a technology. Unless your Laboratory`s certification is with a NELAC State, a Technology Code is not required. If your certification is with a NELAC State, APG will evaluate your data even without a Technology Code, but the state may reject the data. Technology Codes are reported in both Laboratory and State reports. |
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| | Technology Description |
| | A 15 character alpha-numeric string that describes the technology used to evaluate the sample (does not include blank spaces). A technology includes the instruments, preparation techniques, and/or detection systems used to evaluate a sample. |
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| | Units |
| | The standard scientific measurement scale used to identify the reported value. |
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| | 308 Letter |
| | A letter sent to all major and selected minor NPDES Permit Holders to inform them of their required participation in DMRQA. A Permit Holder is required to participate in the program "based on the authority of Section 308(a) of the Clean Water Act". This letter is sometimes referred to as the DMRQA Announcement Letter. |
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| | Contract Laboratory |
| | A laboratory contracted with a Permittee to provide some or all of the routine testing listed on the permit. Contract Laboratories can only be used for DMRQA testing if the contract laboratory is the entity that routinely performs the Permittee`s testing. If an In-house Laboratory performs the routine testing, the In-house Laboratory must complete the DMRQA testing. |
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| | Data Reporting Package Code |
| | The unique 8 character alpha-numeric code assigned to the DMRQA Data Reporting Package created by a contract laboratory |
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| | DMRQA |
| | Discharge Monitoring Report – Quality Assurance. This is the US EPA and State Agencies mandated quality assurance program that applies to all major and selected minor permittees under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). |
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| | DMRQA Coordinators |
| | The coordinators for the DMRQA program, each coordinator has specific areas of responsibility. Your coordinator should be able to help you with any questions. The 308 letter contains a complete listing of all of the DMRQA State and Regional Coordinators. If you still have a question, call us or send us an e-mail and we will help you.
 Locate Your State Coordinators |
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| | DMRQA Sample Preparation Instructions |
| | The booklet supplied with your samples that details the required sample preparation instructions for all of the samples included in the DMRQA Program. |
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| | EPA Forms |
| | These forms are supplied to the Permittee with the 308 Letter. They are used to identify the Permittee, where the report should be shipped to, and identify the laboratories that were used for the sample testing. These forms are commonly referred to as the EPA Forms due to the fact that they contain the EPA Logo. |
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| | EPA Lab Code |
| | This is a unique identification number assigned to a laboratory by the US EPA. When reporting your data on the Permittee Data Return Form, please be sure this lab code is listed in the appropriate place with each analyte reported. APG cannot process your data without a corresponding US EPA Lab Code for each analyte. |
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| | In-house Laboratory |
| | This is the laboratory that is part of the Permittee’s organization. The In-house Laboratory can only be used to test DMRQA Samples if they routinely test the normal samples as required by the Permit. It is the responsibility of the laboratory that tested the DMRQA Samples to provide the Permittee with the completed Laboratory Data Return Form and the Permittee Data Return Booklet within the timeframe detailed. |
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| | Laboratory Contact Person |
| | This is the person at the laboratory that analyzed the DMRQA samples who you should contact should any questions arise pertaining to the Laboratory Data Return. This person along with their phone and e-mail address is listed on the Laboratory Data Return Form submitted to you by the Laboratory. |
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| | Laboratory Data Reporting Booklet |
| | The booklet provided with the samples to the Laboratory which will be performing the actual analysis. The Laboratory Data Reporting Booklet coupled with the Sample Preparation Instructions Booklet is all that is required for a laboratory, either Contract or In-house, or Permittee to effectively execute the DMRQA Program requirements. |
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| | Laboratory Data Return Form |
| | This form is the responsibility of the laboratory that normally analyzes your routine samples. This could be an In-house, Contract Laboratory or a combination of both. Regardless, the Laboratory Data Return Form must be submitted to the Permittee within the required timeframe so that the Permittee can transcribe and consolidate the Laboratory Data Return information onto the Permittee Data Return Form. Please note, although the Laboratory Data Return Form is submitted to the Permittee as a
single form, the Permittee must submit the entire Permittee Data Return Booklet to APG.
View the Qualified Studies and Deadlines |
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| | Laboratory Quality Control Samples |
| | Samples available from Analytical Products Group, Inc. to help ensure your procedures are in control. APG offers these samples for all PT Programs and are ready for same day shipping. Contact us today, at 800-272-4442 or vist us at www.APGQA.com and let us help you succeed on your PT Study samples through the use of our Laboratory Quality Control Samples.
Order samples online |
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| | NPDES Permit Number |
| | This is the identification number on your permit. A valid NPDES Permit Number contains a two-letter state designation and a seven digit numeric code. If you have a question on which number this is, please contact you State/Regional DMRQA Coordinator. The NPDES Permit Number must be recorded on all of your documentation and correspondence with all organizations involved with the DMRQA program. This includes your Permittee Data Return Form. Without the NPDES Permit Number, APG cannot process your data return. Also, the NPDES Permit Number is different than the US EPA Lab Code. The US EPA Lab Code is specific to the laboratory (In-house or Contract Laboratory) executing the actual testing. Both of these numbers are extremely important with respect to reporting.
Locate Your State Coordinators |
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| | NPDES Permittee Data Report Form |
| | These forms are supplied to the Permittee with the 308 Letter. They are used to identify the Permittee, where the report should be shipped to, and identify the laboratories that were used for the sample testing. These forms are commonly referred to as the EPA Forms due to the fact that they contain the EPA Logo. |
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| | Permittee |
| | This is the organization that is listed on the NPDES permit. The Permittee is sometimes referred to as Permit Holder. |
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| | Permittee Data Return Booklet |
| | The Permittee Data Return Booklet is designed to guide the Permittee through the entire DMRQA Process. If we have not answered your questions within this booklet, give us a call or e-mail us. |
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| | PT Provider |
| |  This is the Proficiency Testing Provider organization that will provide the DMRQA Study 21 samples and report the results of the study to all parties involved. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) must accredit PT Providers before they can participate in the DMRQA Program as a PT Provider. APG is accredited and our NVLAP Code is 200384-0. |
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| | US EPA Data Packet |
| | This packet consists of the NPDES Permittee Data Report Forms (a.k.a. the EPA Forms), the Permittee Data Return Form and the Laboratory Data Return Form (Submitted by the Laboratory who analyzed the DMRQA Samples). All of these forms are located in the Data Return booklet except the Laboratory Data Return Form, which will be submitted to you by the In-house or Contract Laboratory. This data package must be copied and sent to your State or Regional DMRQA Coordinator. The original data packet, along with the rest of the Permittee Data Return Booklet, must be submitted to APG within the timeframe as detailed. Please note, the Permittee Data Return Booklet must be submitted in its entirety to APG. APG cannot accept the data if any of the pages are removed from the booklet. Also, please staple the Laboratory Data Return Form provided to you from the Contract or In-house Laboratory to the back cover of this booklet as indicated.
View the Qualified Studies and Deadlines |
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| | Voluntary Analyte |
| | These are analytes that can be reported voluntarily, meaning that APG will provide you with an evaluation on these analytes, but the US EPA or State Agencies will not require remediation for these analytes should your APG evaluation return a result of “Not Acceptable.” Analytes can only be voluntary if they do not appear on your permit. On the Permittee Data Return Form, place an “X” in the corresponding box if you want the analyte to be reported as Voluntary. |
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| | APG Lab Code |
| | The code assigned to your laboratory by Analytical Products Group, Inc. This code is sometimes referred to as your customer code. Please ensure this number is on all of your correspondences with APG. |
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| | APG Mailing Address |
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Analytical Products Group, Inc
2730 Washington Blvd.
Belpre, OH 45714
| | Phone | 800.272.4442
740.423.4200 | | Fax | 740.423.5588 |
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| | Multiple Method |
| | An adoption of a scientific technique for a specific measurement problem, as documented in a laboratory SOP or published by a recognized authority. (NELAC) Multiple methods are the reporting of more than one scientific technqiue. |
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| | NELAC |
| | The National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) is a voluntary association of state and federal agencies established to develop and implement mutually acceptable performance standards for the operation of environmental laboratories. |
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| | Proficiency Testing |
| | PT or proficiency testing sample is a sample that is sent out as a blind with no answers. The true value information is provided after the study close date in the form of a report. |
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| | Program |
| | This value indicates which program the analyte of interest is a part. For Water Pollution Studies (WP), the only values that Program will have are 'WP' or 'APG+'. If the analyte and range are consistent with the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiecy Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045) then the Program value will have a value of 'WP' and if this is not the case then the Program value will be 'APG+', indicating that the analyte and/or range was specified by Analytical Products Group. |
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| | Quality Control |
| | QC sample or laboratory control sample is a known sample. The sample is shipped with a certificate of analysis. The certificate includes true value information. |
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| | Solids Standards |
| | Solids standards are individually prepared, therefore, each standard has a unique APG Assigned Value. |
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| | Study Close Date |
| | This is the date that a study closes. After this date, no data can be evaluated. This is consistent with the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045). Please note, that data had to be received by APG by midnight on the Study Close Date. |
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| | Water Pollution Proficiency Testing Study (WP) |
| | Since some laboratories would like to combine their Water Pollution study and their DMRQA, APG offers different
studies that will meet the needs of the DMRQA. Our monthly WP studies meet all of the requirements as specified by NELAC and meet all of the requirements as required by the DMRQA Program. Monthly WP studies are a great way to ensure quality on a monthly basis. Please note that if the laboratory testing the DMRQA samples chooses a Water Pollution Study to meet your DMRQA needs, your data return dates will change.
View the Qualified Studies and Deadlines |
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| | WET Testing |
| | Whole-Effluent Toxicity Testing. According to the 308 Letter dated April 10, 2001, "The WET testing for Study 23 will not be conducted this year…." |
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| | Acceptable |
| | Your Reported Value is within the EPA Acceptable Range and within 2 EPA Standard Deviations from the EPA Mean. |
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| | Acceptable - Check for Error |
| | The Reported Value is between two (2) and three (3) EPA Standard Deviations from the EPA Mean. This Evaluation is acceptable, but your Reported Value is within the EPA Warning Limits. This means that although the result is acceptable, you may want to review your method and procedure to determine any inconsistencies or possible areas for improvement. |
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| | Analyte |
| | The name of the analyte of interest as found in the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045). |
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| | Analyte Code |
| | The code given to the analyte by the US EPA. These codes can be found in the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045). |
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| | APG Assigned Value |
| | The calculated True Value of the standard based upon the actual composition of the standard. |
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| | APG Certified Value |
| | This value is the result of the quality control testing performed on the sample by Analytical Products Group before the sample is shipped to the customer. Through this testing, the samples are traced against a NIST Standard Reference Material where available or an external standard if a NIST Standard Reference Material is not available. The reported uncertainty of of this value is expressed as two times the standard deviation(s) divided by the square root of the number of samples (n) tested (i.e. 2s/vn). This quality control testing meets all of the requirements as specified by the NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) Handbook 150-19 (Chemical Calibration: Providers of Proficiency Testing). |
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| | Average Acceptable Data |
| | This value is the average percent of data that is within the EPA Acceptance Limits for this study. The Average Acceptable Data is reported for all laboratories as a whole as well as your laboratory as an individual. These values can be found in the Laboratory Benchmark Report. |
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| | Average Percentile For All Parameters |
| | This is your laboratory's rank on each parameter and the related rank for that parameter. The average percentile is the average of this data across all parameters reported. It is a different measure of performance than percent acceptable data since it is affected by your relative performance on each parameter. The report provides an average for this measure for all laboratories reporting as well as your laboratory's performance. |
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| | Blank |
| | No data was reported for this analyte or the analyte was not spiked. |
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| | Comment Report |
| | Contains comments submitted to Analytical Products Group by the program participants or comments by Analytical Products Group to program participants concerning unusual characteristics of the data set or problems with standards which could influence the interpretation of the data. Please review this section thoroughly before examining your data. |
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| | Data Error - Code |
| | This Evaluation indicates that there was an error with your data that prohibits us from evaluating your Reported Value. The "X" will be a number indicating the error code. |
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| | Detail Report |
| | This report lists all the details of your data. Also included in this section are useful graphs indicating the APG Assigned Value, the EPA Mean, the EPA Acceptance Limits and your Reported Value. Another graph included in this section shows your Z score for the analyte of interest.
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| | EPA Acceptance Range |
| | This range is calculated based upon the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045). For the DMRQA Program, the EPA Acceptance Range is defined as plus and minus three (3) EPA Standard Deviations from the EPA Mean. |
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| | EPA Mean |
| | This value is the expected mean value as calculated per the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045) using the specified regression constants and the APG Assigned Value. |
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| | EPA Standard Deviation |
| | This value is calculated per the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (NERL-Ci-0045) using the specified regression constants and the APG Assigned Value. |
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| | EPA Warning Limits |
| | The EPA Warning Limits are designed by the US EPA to alert you of a potential problem. These limits are calculated as plus and minus 2 to 3 EPA Standard Deviations from the EPA Mean. Please note, if your reported value falls within these Warning Limits your Evaluation is still deemed Acceptable, but you may want to review your method and procedure for potential opportunities to fine tune your analysis. |
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| | Evaluation |
| | The EPA Acceptance Range and the information you report determine this value. Your Evaluation may have one of the following values: |
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| | Exception Report |
| | This report is a summary of all of the analytes that resulted in an Evaluation of "Not Acceptable". The Exception Report is designed to very quicky identify for your laboratory the areas that may require your immediate attention. |
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| | InterLaboratory Statistics |
| | This data is a summary of all of the data from all study participants for the analyte of interest. Inter-Laboratory Statistics are only reported if a minimum number of laboratories analyzed and reported data for the analyte of interest. |
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| | Laboratory Benchmark Report |
| | This report presents an overall summary of the study as well as your performance relative to all other study participants. |
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| | Laboratory Pass Percentage |
| | This is the percentage of study participants that reported values within the EPA Acceptance Limits for the analyte of interest. |
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| | Not Acceptable |
| | Your Reported Value is outside of the EPA Acceptance Range. |
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| | Number of Acceptable Data Points |
| | This value is the number of data points reported by your laboratory that were within the EPA Acceptance Limits. |
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| | Performance Evaluation Summary Report |
| | Provides a summary of all of your data for each analyte. This summary is formatted similar to the US EPA DMR-QA Reports. |
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| | Proficiency Testing Reporting Limit (PTRL) |
| | The value that corresponds to the lowest acceptable result that could be obtained from the lowest spike level for each analytical results within the specified acceptance criteria. |
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| | Rank on Average Percentile Data |
| | This value is your laboratories rank out of all possible ranks based on Your Ranking converted to a percentile. It is important to note that several laboratories can achieve the same rank. |
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| | Rank on Percent Acceptable Data |
| | This is your laboratories rank out of all possible ranks based on Your Ranking converted to a percentile. It is important to note that several laboratories can acheive the same rank. |
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| | Reported Value |
| | The test result you report for a specific analyte. Be sure to verify that you are reporting the value in the proper units. It is essential that your data is clearly written and that decimal points be apparent. According to the US EPA National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Program Criteria Document (December 30, 1998) we are required to evaluate your data to three significant digits based upon the EPA Acceptance Range. It is recommended that you limit your reporting of results to three significant digits. See the Less Than (<) Reporting term for more details pertaining to your Reported Value. If you must make a change to your reported value after you have entered the information on the data return from, please clearly cross out the original entry and write in the new value. Please do not use white-out to cover the original entry. |
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| | Study Mean |
| | This value is calculated using all reported values after the removal of outliers, which are removed using standard statistical methods. The Study Mean is only reported if a statistically acceptable number of laboratories report numeric results for the analyte. |
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| | Study Standard Deviation |
| | This value is calculated using all reported values after the removal of outliers, which are removed using standard statistical methods. The Study Standard Deviation is only reported if a statistically acceptable number of laboratories report numeric results for the analyte. |
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| | Unusable |
| | The Reported Value was a text value which could not be evaluated. |
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| | Weighted Rank on Percent Acceptable Data |
| | Because the Analytical Products Group Proficiency Testing Program includes laboratories of many sizes and capabilities, we have provided a weighted ranking system that will result in meaningful rankings for all study participants. The Weighted Rank on Percent Acceptable Data is the weighted rank of your laboratory based on Percent Acceptable Data and the number of analytes reported. |
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| | Weighted Rank on Percentile Data |
| | Because the Analytical Products Group Proficiency Testing Program includes laboratories of many sizes and capabilities, we have provided a weighted ranking system that will result in meaningful rankings for all study participants. The Weighted Rank on Percentile Data is the weighted rank of your laboratory based on Rank on Average Percentile Data and the number of analytes reported. |
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| | Z-Score |
| | This figure corresponds to how far your Reported Value was from the EPA Mean, reported in terms of EPA Standard Deviation units. As a point of reference, the US EPA Acceptance Limits are plus or minus three (3) EPA Standard Deviations from the EPA Mean. |
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