Environmental Monitoring Lecture PDF

LECTURE 1: Instructor Melchor Catones- College of Science 2nd SEMESTER / A.Y 2024-2025 MONITOR MONITORING THE ENVIRONMENT M...

LECTURE 1: Instructor Melchor Catones- College of Science 2nd SEMESTER / A.Y 2024-2025 MONITOR MONITORING THE ENVIRONMENT Monitor (verb)- to watch, keep track of, or check usually for a special purpose TOPIC OUTLINE Monitor- the act of observing something (and sometimes keeping a record of that observation) ◘ MONITOR Monitor- a device (usually electronic) used to record, regulate, or control a process or system ◘ ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Monitor- keeping track of systematically (that is, on a ◘ CATEGORIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL regular or ongoing basis) with a view to collecting MONITORING information ◘ MONITORING PROCESS Monitor- from Latin monēre to warn ◘ WHO NEEDS ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING? ◘ WHERE WE CAN GET ENVIRONMENTAL DATA? ◘ SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MONITORING PROGRAMS ◘ ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: DESIGN, TECHNIQUES, ANALYSIS ◘ SPATIAL SCALES OF OBSERVATION ◘ TEMPORAL SCALES OF OBSERVATION ◘ ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING ◘ ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLE’S LIFE ◘ GENERAL SAMPLING CATEGORIES ◘ SAMPLES LABELS ◘ ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING DESIGN Main objective of monitoring: ◘ DEVELOPING A SAMPLING PLAN 1. Recognize ◘ SAMPLING LOCATIONS 2. Understand 3. Improve or maintain ◘ REPRESENTATIVENESS The ability to measure is a necessity in environmental ◘ PROBABLISTIC SAMPLING AND OTHER monitoring. SAMPLING TERMINOLOGIES ◘ STOCHASTICITY ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ◘ SCIENTIFIC RELIABILITY Environmental monitoring is the observation and study of the environment (Artiola, 2004). ◘ ANALYTICAL METHODS: CONSIDERATIONS - In scientific terms, we wish to collect data from which we can derive knowledge ◘ CLASSICAL AND MODERN ANALYTICAL MONITORING TECHNIQUES General objective: To measure current status and changes in target entity ◘ SAMPLE PROBLEM: SAMPLE STRATEGIES - Objective should be related to explicit question(s) with measurable endpoints ALVERO, VHON ANDRE T. 1 Spatial and temporal domains should be defined, and Remote sensing makes it possible to: comparable methodologies used with repeated observations over time. 1. Collect data on dangerous or inaccessible areas CATEGORIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 2. Replace costly and slow data collection on the ground, ensuring in the process that areas or Categories of Environmental monitoring are: objects are not disturbed 1. Simple monitoring Uses: satellite, aircraft, spacecraft, buoy, ship, balloon 2. Survey monitoring and helicopter images 3. Surrogate or proxy monitoring 4. Integrated monitoring Result can be: mapped, imaged, tracked and observed 5. Baseline monitoring 6. Compliance monitoring MONITORING SYSTEMS 7. Impact monitoring Field-monitoring stations- are used to describe the BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) Model- is a study qualitative and quantitative aspects of environmental design that compares changes between an impacted media area and a control area to estimate the effect of an impact. Advantage: MONITORING PROCESS 1. Usually collected using verifiable scientific methods 2. Usually validated 3. Often available as time series 4. Frequently use modelling to improve data quality Limitation: 1. Usually located in “hot-spot” 2. Measurements will be location-specific 3. Limitations of their representativeness 4. Difficult to aggregate over space WHO NEEDS ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING? SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MONITORING PROGRAMS Who needs environmental monitoring: Seven habits of highly effective monitoring 1. Scientists programs (Lovett et al., 2007): 2. Policy makers 3. Public 1. Design the program around clear and compelling scientific Monitoring is an essential component of environmental science and deserves the careful attention of scientists 2. Include review, feedback, and adaptation in the and greater support from government agencies and design other funding sources (Lovett et al., 2007). 3. Choose measurements carefully and with the future You cannot manage what you do not measure- in mind good, long-term monitoring records are rare and extremely valuable; haphazard monitoring adds little to 4. Maintain quality and consistency of the data scientific knowledge 5. Plan for long-term data accessibility and sample WHERE WE CAN GET ENVIRONMENTAL DATA? archiving From Environment Statistics Section, United Nations 6. Continually examine, interpret, and present the Statistics Division for National Technical Training monitoring data Workshop on Environment Statistics (2019). 7. Include monitoring within an integrated research REMOTE SENSING AND THEMATIC MAPPING program Remote sensing- is the science of obtaining ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: DESIGN, information about objects or areas from a distance, TECHNIQUES, ANALYSIS typically from aircraft or satellites Iterative Flow Diagram for Developing an Environmental Measurement Design: ALVERO, VHON ANDRE T. 2 If you do not know how to ask the right question, - Analytical testing you discover nothing- W. Edwards Deming ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLE’S LIFE SPATIAL SCALES OF OBSERVATION 7 steps of the Sample’s life: Spatial scales of observations: Step 1: The Sample Is Planned (Conceived) Step 2:Identified At A Sampling Point Step 3: Collected (Born) Step 4: Transferred To The Laboratory Step 5: Analyzed Step 6: Expires And Is Discarded Step 7: Reincarnates As Chemical Data Spatial dimensions Get the right data, get the data right, and keep the data right- Nancy W. Wentworth of U.S. Environmental Two dimensions- along a plane or surface (x,y) Protection Agency (EPA) example geographic coordinates GENERAL SAMPLING CATEGORIES Third dimension (z)- comprises height or depth Two general sampling categories: - earth crust–atmosphere interface - Depth (e.g. soil profile) 1. Destructive sampling - Height (e.g. atmospheric inversion, turbulence, 2. Nondestructive sampling winds) Destructive sampling- samples are physically TEMPORAL SCALES OF OBSERVATION removed from an environment Nondestructive/non-invasive sampling- (remote sensing/liquid-solid or gas-solid sensors) Temporal properties- measurements over time defined by natural cycles - Precise intervals defined by convenient time units - Systematizes sampling, regularly spaced SAMPLES LABELS ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING Samples labels- name of the person performing the sampling Sampling is the generic term consisting in two distinguished groups of operations: - date, hour, site and place of sample up-take - may be codes to prevent sabotage 1. Pre-laboratory operations - E.g., EL1TayA0800 2. Laboratory operations ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING DESIGN Pre laboratory operations- on-site sample uptake/collection (usually also called “sampling”) Sampling protocols are defined by the unique characteristics of each environment- Artiola and - on-site sample conservation/preservation Warrick, 2004 - transportation and storage DEVELOPING A SAMPLING PLAN Laboratory operations- sample pre-treatment and preparation for analysis, these include separation, In developing a sampling plan: purification, concentration, or other operations. 1. Define clearly attainable objectives ALVERO, VHON ANDRE T. 3  2. Design sampling approaches to satisfy Grab, Search, or Exploratory: haphazard sampling of objectives a single sample at a given time Define clearly attainable objectives Surrogate: substitution of one measurement is possible for another - Completion should produce usable or transferable data Composite (bulking): combining/mixing multiple samples into one; done when spatial or temporal Design sampling approaches to satisfy objectives variances are not needed - Location - Number or samples - Sampling intensity - Actual costs SAMPLING LOCATIONS The sampling location should be statistically determined, preferably random Considerations: 1. Sampling and analysis cost 2. Accessibility 3. Time Use of previously acquired knowledge about an environment to reduce cost and meet schedule restrictions, but acknowledge bias in judgment sampling REPRESENTATIVENESS Representativeness- measure of the degree to which data accurately and precisely represent a characteristic of a population, environmental condition. - ‘‘representativeness’’ always depends on the project objective - environments do not always consist of clearly defined representative units (e.g. forest vs lake) - Heterogeneity present difficulties in obtaining representative samples PROBABLISTIC SAMPLING AND OTHER SAMPLING TERMINOLOGIES Random: All units have the same chance of being selected Systematic: Samples at a fixed, repeated interval, initial may be random Stratified: Dividing into sub-groups or strata ALVERO, VHON ANDRE T. 4  - Chemical concentrations are usually very low, requiring reliable instruments able to detect contaminants at ppm, ppb, ppt - Some analyses have to be done on-site (field) on a continuous basis. - Analysts need not only the technical competency but also the knowledge of regulations for regulatory compliance and enforcement purposes. CLASSICAL AND MODERN ANALYTICAL MONITORING TECHNIQUES Classical Analytical Monitoring Techniques- volumetric and gravimetric methods - Moisture, oil and grease - Titration for acidity Modern Analytical Monitoring Techniques- Spectrometric, electrometric, and chromatographic methods STOCHASTICITY Stochasticity- randomness - Stochasticity in environmental processes - Environmental variables are the consequence of thousands of events, some of which may be poorly defined or imperfectly understood. How many samples are required? SAMPLE PROBLEM: SAMPLE STRATEGIES - best sample number is the largest sample You are asked to estimate the weekly average number possible, but there is no universal concentration of SO2 emitted from a stack in a coal formula to calculate the adequate sample size. power plant. Propose a simple sampling plan to take exhaust gas SO2 samples at the outlet of the stack. SCIENTIFIC RELIABILITY Include frequency and temporal considerations to meet objective and minimize bias. Scientific reliability- proper procedures for sampling and analysis are followed so that the results accurately reflect the content of the sample - Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) - Custody or Control - Documentation and Traceability Scientifically defective data may spring from - An incorrect sampling protocol (bad sampler) - An incorrect analytical protocol (bad analyst) - The lack of a good laboratory practice (GLP) - The falsification of test results. ANALYTICAL METHODS: CONSIDERATIONS Analytical Methods- depends on objectives - Analyte concentration, available instrument, other factors considered ALVERO, VHON ANDRE T. 5