PM09 WET Testing
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Monday, 10 November 2003
(PM155) Status of WET Pellston Conference Recommendations: Statistical Methods and Appropriate Endpoints.
Gully, J1, Fleming, K 1, Pletl, J1, Markle, P1, Cooney, J1, de Vlaming, V1, Downey, P1, Matthews, M1, Rowland, C1, Albrecht, B1, 1 SETAC WET Expert Advisory Panel on Performance Evaluation and Data Interpretation
ABSTRACT- A Pellston Workshop on whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing was held in 1995 evaluated the methods and their ability to predict receiving water impacts. Workgroup participants concluded that although WET methods were generally sound, technical improvements to the methods should be evaluated as quickly as possible for use in the WET program. The workgroup identified three basic areas related to statistical methods and appropriate WET test endpoints where improvements should be made: 1) QA/QC, as it relates to training, lab certification, method standardization, PMSD limits.; 2) Data analysis, including recommendations to develop, evaluate, or improve the statistical methods used to analyze WET data; and 3) Data interpretation, with recommendations related to endpoint uncertainty, integration of other monitoring data, exposure conditions, and margins of safety. The SETAC WET Expert Advisory Panel on Performance Evaluation and Data Interpretation have re-evaluated the state of the science in relation to the recommendations in the Workshop proceedings (Grothe et a., 1996). Although some progress has been made in these three areas, many important recommendations have not been researched or implemented.
Key words: statistics, whole effluent toxicity, QA/QC, interpretation