ASTM_D_596_-_01_2011.pdf

Designation:D59601(Reapproved 2011)Standard Guide forReporting Results of Analysis of Water1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D596;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide provides guidelines for reporting inorganicand organic results of analyses of drinking water,waste water,process water,ground water,and surface water,and so forth,tolaboratory clients in a complete and systematic fashion.1.2 The reporting of bacterial and radiological data are notaddressed in this guide.1.3 The commonly used data qualifiers for reviewing andreporting information are listed and defined.Client and labo-ratory specific requirements may make use of other qualifiers.This guide does not preclude the use of other data qualifiers.1.4 This guide discusses procedures for and specific prob-lems in the reporting of low level data,potential errors(TypeI and Type II),and reporting data that are below the calculatedmethod detection limit and above the analyte.1.4.1 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard.No other units of measurement are included in thisstandard.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D933 Practice for Reporting Results of Examination andAnalysis of Water-Formed DepositsD1129 Terminology Relating to WaterD2777 Practice for Determination of Precision and Bias ofApplicable Test Methods of Committee D19 on WaterD3856 Guide for Management Systems in LaboratoriesEngaged in Analysis of WaterD4210 Practice for Intralaboratory Quality Control Proce-dures and a Discussion on Reporting Low-Level Data(Withdrawn 2002)3D4460 Practice for Calculating Precision Limits WhereValues are Calculated from Other Test MethodsD4840 Guide for Sample Chain-of-Custody ProceduresD5792 Practice for Generation of Environmental Data Re-lated to Waste Management Activities:Development ofData Quality ObjectivesD6091 Practice for 99%/95%Interlaboratory DetectionEstimate(IDE)for Analytical Methods with NegligibleCalibration ErrorE29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data toDetermine Conformance with Specifications3.Terminology3.1 Definitions For definitions of terms used in thispractice,refer to Terminology D1129.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 surrogatescompounds that are similar to analytes ofinterest in chemical composition and behavior,separation,andmeasurements,but that are not normally found in environmen-tal samples.NOTE1These compounds are added to blanks,standards,samples,orspiked samples prior to analysis to confirm the proper operation of theanalytical system.3.2.2 Type I errora statement that a substance is presentwhen it is not.3.2.3 Type II errora statement that a substance was notpresent(was not found)when the substance was present.4.Significance and Use4.1 The proper use of analytical data requires adequatedocumentation of all inputs,that is,the source and history ofthe sample,laboratory performing the analysis,method ofanalysis,date of analysis,precision and bias of themeasurements,and related quality assurance information.4.2 In order to have defensible data,the report must becomplete and accurate,providing adequate information toevaluate the quality of the data and contain supporting infor-mation that documents sampling and analysis procedures.4.3 This guide contains some of the common data qualifiersor“flags”commonly used by laboratories following the GoodLaboratory Practices,the Government Contract program,orfound in the commercial laboratories.Examples of thesequalifiers are the use of(E)for estimated value,(U)for1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D19 on Water and isthe direct responsibility of Subcommittee D19.02 on Quality Systems,Specification,and Statistics.Current edition approved May 1,2011.Published June 2011.Originallyapproved in 1940.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as D596 01(2006).DOI:10.1520/D0596-01R11.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced onwww.astm.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 analyzed for but not detected,and(B)for analyte was found inthe blank(see 8.11).The qualifiers included in this guideshould help the laboratory and its customers to better under-stand each other by using standardized qualifiers.4.4 Practice D933 is a comprehensive practice for reportingwater-formed constituents such as metal oxides,acidanhydrides,and others.5.Sample Documentation5.1 Information regarding the source and history of t