EnvirofACS

One of the most frequently asked questions involving environmental sampling and analysis is:

How many environmental samples are needed?

Answers to this question are derived by statistical equations and your specific requirements (i.e., Data Quality Objectives and Measurement Quality Objectives). However, although the equations have been known for years, they are not frequently available in a convenient form for use by chemists, project managers, samplers, regulators and others, who would use this information more often if they could understand it and if it was in an easily used form.

“DQO-PRO” is a series of programs with a user interface like a common calculator and it is accessed using Microsoft Windows. DQO-PRO provides answers for three objectives:

1. Determining the rate at which an event occurs,
2. Determining an estimate of an averge within a tolerable error, and
3. Determining the sampling grid necessary to detect “hot spots”.

DQO-PRO facilitates understanding the significance of DQOs by showing the relationships between numbers of samples and DQO parameters such as (1) confidence levels versus numbers of false positive or negative conclusions; (2) tolerable error versus analyte concentration, standard deviation, etc., and (3) confidence levels versus sampling area grid size. The user has only to type in his or her requirements and the calculator instantly provides the answers.

For example, if you provide numbers of samples that you have (or plan to take), the calculator estimates various confidence levels or, if you provide confidence levels (as part of your DQOs), the calculator estimates the numbers of samples you’ll need to obtain those confidence levels.

Help in the form of definitions and guidance for using the calculator is provided in hypertext HELP windows and also in more detailed text files but much more extensive help, complete with examples, is provided in inexpensive PowerPoint tutorials described below from Instant Reference Sources' DQO-PRO Tutorial.

DQO-PRO is a public domain software so you may download and copy it freely (but be sure to read the READ.ME file for limitations, assumptions, and important information about using this program).

An inexpensive set of PowerPoint Tutorials to help you obtain the most out of DQO-PRO is available for downloading from Instant Reference Sources' DQO-PRO Tutorial. Be sure to download them after you download the DQO-PRO program here. Click Here for the Tutorials

Down Load Free DQO-PRO Here