WATER POLLUTION CONTROL RESEARCH SERIES • 16020 FSO 06/71
Design and Operation of an
Information Center on
Analytical Methodology
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY • RESEARCH AND MONITORING
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WATER POLLUTION CONTROL RESEARCH SERIES
The Water Pollution Control Research Series describes
the results and progress in the control and abatement
of pollution in our Nation's waters. They provide a
central source of information on the research , develop-
ment, and demonstration activities in the Water Duality
Office, Environmental Protection Agency, through inhouse
research and grants and contracts with Federal, State,
and local agencies, research institutions, and industrial
organizations.
Inquiries pertaining to Water Pollution Control Research
Reports should be directed to the Head, Project Reports
System, Office of Research and Development, Water Quality
Office, Environmental Protection Agency, Room 1108,
Washington, D. C. 20242.
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DESIGN AND OPERATION OF AN
INFORMATION CENTER ON ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
by
Battelle Memorial Institute
505 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201
for the
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Program #16020FS06/71
Contract # 14-12-862
June, 1971
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $1.26
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EPA Review Notice
This report has been reviewed by the VJater
Quality Office, EPA, and approved for publication,
Approval does not signify that the contents
necessarily reflect the views and policies of
the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does
mention of trade names or commercial products
constitute endorsement or recommendation for
use.
ii
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ABSTRACT
Under WQO Contract Number 14-12-862, the Columbus Laboratories of
Battelle Memorial Institute were commissioned to "design and operate
a pilot analytical methodology information storage and retrieval system
tailored to the needs of the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory (AQCL)
and other segments of the National Analytical Methods Development Research
Program (NAMDRP)".
The contractual requirements were met during a nine-month research period
by the following accomplishments:
1. Definition and statement of the AQCL scope of interests.
2. Acquisition of 1145 technical reports and articles.
3. Abstracting and indexing of 470 technical documents.
4. Preparation and evaluation of three prototype issues of
a current awareness bulletin entitled "Reviews of
Current Literature on Analytical Methodology".
5. Preparation of 115 technical abstracts for input to the
Water Resources Scientific Information Center.
6. Preparation of 13 quick responses to technical inquiries.
7. Provision of document loans and limited translation
services.
8. Consideration of methods for interacting with other
facilities such as the Science Information Exchange (SIE).
9. Development of a procedure for processing and inputting
information to a computerized information storage and
retrieval system.
10. Demonstration of a computerized information storage and
retrieval system at AQCL.
11. Recommendations for an operational information center on
analytical methodology.
12. Cost analysis of the recommended information center.
Complete discussions of all these activities are included in the report.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of Project Number 16020FSO,
Contract 14-12-862, under the sponsorship of the Water Quality Office,
Environmental Protection Agency.
iii
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CONTENTS
Section Page
I RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A FULL-SCALE OPERATION OF AM
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER 1
General Recommendations 1
Information Center 1
Organization, Staffing, Operation, and
Information System 1
Services 3
Travel 4
Final Report 4
II PURPOSE OF CONTRACT 5
III INTRODUCTION 7
AQCL Organization 7
AQCL Responsibilities 7
Federal Water Program 7
National Analytical Methods Research
Program 12
Water Resources Scientific Information
Center Assignment 12
IV METHODS OF SCOPING AMD DEFINITION 15
Methods for Determining Scope 15
Personal Interviews 15
AQCL Work Plans for FY 1971 16
Current Awareness Bulletin 17
Quick Response Inquiries 17
V SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED INFORMATION CENTER 19
Physical and Chemical Methods Activity 19
General Analysis Group 19
Spectrographic Group 20
Organics Group 20
Biological Methods Activity 20
Benthos Group 21
Plankton-Periphyton Group 21
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CONTENTS (Continued)
Section
Page
Microbiological Methods Activity 21
Methods and Performance Evaluation Activity 22
Instrument Development Activity 23
Concluding Statements on Scope 23
VI ACQUISITIONS 25
VII INFORMATION SYSTEM 27
Information Processing 27
Document Logging 29
Abstracting and Indexing 29
Quality Checking 29
Typing Drafts of Abstracts 33
Abstract Editing 33
Typing of the Current Awareness Bulletin 33
Typing of WRSIC Abstracts 33
Loading the Computerized Information
System 33
Potential of Providing Machine Readable Input to
Other Information Centers 34
Computerized Information Storage and Retrieval
System 34
Description of the Battelle Computer System 35
Sample Searches of the Computerized Informa-
tion System 35
Demonstration of the AMIC Information System 40
Computer Storage Required for the Demon-
stration System 40
Interface With the Water Resources Scientific
Information Center (WRSIC) 41
Brief Review of the Water Resources Scientific
Information Center 41
WRSIC Indexing Versus Indexing for AQCL 45
Input of Abstracts to WRSIC 45
Interface With the Robert A. Taft Water Research
Center 51
Interface With the Science Information Exchange
(SIE) 51
vi
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CONTENTS (Continued)
Section Page
VIII INFORMATION SERVICES OF THE ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
INFORMATION CENTER 53
Information Needs 53
Quick Response Inquiries 54
Current Awareness 56
Procedures for Preparing the Current
Awareness Bulletin 56
Description of the "Reviews" 57
Evaluation Forms 64
Grading the Pertinence of Items in the
"Reviews" 64
Results of Pertinency Evaluations 69
Distribution of the "Reviews" 69
Reactions to the "Reviews" 70
Loan Services 72
Computer System 73
Activities at Other Laboratories 73
Translations 74
Selective Dissemination of Information 74
Technical Analysis 75
IX COST ANALYSIS FOR AN OPERATIONAL ANALYTICAL
METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER 77
X THE FUTURE POTENTIAL OF AN ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
INFORMATION CENTER 79
XI REFERENCES 81
XII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 83
XIII APPENDICES 85
vii
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FIGURES
Page
1. ORGANIZATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 8
2. ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND MONITORING 9
3. ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE OF WATER QUALITY RESEARCH 10
4. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ANALYTICAL QUALITY
CONTROL LABORATORY 11
5. DOCUMENT PROCESSING PROCEDURES IN THE ANALYTICAL
METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER 28
6. SAMPLE OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC CARD 30
7. SAMPLE OF AMIC INDEX TERM LISTING 32
8. SAMPLE SEARCHES OF THE AMIC INFORMATION BASE WITH
DESCRIPTIVE NOTES 36
9a. A SIMPLE BOOLEAN SEARCH STRATEGY USING TOO TERMS 39
9h. A NARROWER BOOLEAN SEARCH STRATEGY 39
lOa. FIRST SAMPLE ABSTRACT PREPARED ON WRSIC FORM 47
101). SECOND SAMPLE ABSTRACT PREPARED ON URSIC FORM 48
11. POSSIBLE MODE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN AMIC AND SIE 52
12a. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" 58
I2b. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" 61
13a. SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE FIRST ISSUE OF
THE "REVIEWS" 65
13h. SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE SECOND ISSUE OF
THE "REVIEWS" 66
13c. SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE THIRD ISSUE OF
THE "REVIEWS" 67
vm
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TABLES
1. NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS ACCESSIONED DURING THE PILOT STUDY
AND ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL INPUT BY SOURCE 26
2. WRSIC CENTERS OF COMPETENCE AND THEIR SUBJECT COVERAGE 43
3. INPUTS TO WRSIC BY TYPE OF PUBLICATION 49
4. ABSTRACTS OF INTEREST TO WRSIC BUT NOT SUBMITTED BECAUSE
OF ECONOMIC AND TIME CONSTRAINTS 50
5. SUMMARY OF QRI'S DURING PILOT OPERATION 55
6. PERCENTAGE OF ITEMS EVALUATED AS "HIGH INTEREST",
"USEFUL" "LOW INTEREST", AND "NOT PERTINENT" IN THE
THREE ISSUES OF THE "REVIEWS OF CURRENT LITERATURE ON
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY" 69
ix
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SECTION I
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A FULL-SCALEOPERATIQN
OF AN ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY TTIFOKMATTUN CENTER
General Recommendations
During the nine-month research period, virtually all aspects of informa-
tion center operation were explored by the pilot information center
designated the Analytical Methodology Information Center (AMIC). Parti-
cular attention was focused upon determining the parameters of an
operational center which would meet the needs of the Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory (AQCL) and other segments of the National Analytical
Methods Development Research Program (NAMDRP).
The feasibility of an analytical methodology information storage and
retrieval system was demonstrated in detail by the pilot center. In
addition, the demand for services and the reception of the user audience
to these services demonstrated a great need for information services not
only at AQCL but also within the Division of Water Quality Research (WQR)
and at the various regional laboratories. All WQR personnel who came in
contact with the activities of the pilot center expressed a need for
information services and were enthusiastic about the potential of AMIC
for satisfying these needs. Therefore, the basic recommendation of this
report is that an operational Analytical Methodology Information Center
be implemented as soon as possible. Whether such a center is established
within a laboratory of the Office for Research and Monitoring or is
operated by an outside contractor will be dependent upon the availability
of properly trained staff and adequate facilities, and the discretion of
the sponsoring organization.
Recommendations for establishing an operational center are presented in
the following sections.
Information Center
Organization. Staffing, Operation, and Information System
A. Since the AQCL is officially assigned the responsibility of establishing
standard analytical methods for the Office for Research and Monitoring,
the Analytical Methodology Information Center should serve as an arm
of that laboratory.
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B. The center should continue to base Its acquisitions on the scope
statement developed during the pilot study, but should modify
that scope as the interests and needs of the user audience change.
C. The staff of the center should consist of a minimum of:
1 project leader/information scientist
1 information scientist
2-1/4 secretarial/clerical support
part-time Washington liaison
part-time administrator.
Additional part-time staff will be needed for a total of about 3/4
time to provide technical and services support to the information
center.
D. Coverage of the literature should be maintained by reviewing the
journals and abstract sources listed in Appendices D and E. Sub-
scriptions should be placed for those journals which frequently con-
tain items of high interest. These journals are listed in Appendix H.
Acquisition of Government research reports should be given high
priority. The center's staff should also be alert to potential new
sources of information, especially foreign and state and municipal
governments. A concerted effort also should be made to keep the
center informed of the activities and reports available at other EPA
Laboratories.
E. The rate of document processing is anticipated to be about 1850 new
items per year. During the pilot project, a backlog of about 675
additional items was accumulated which should be processed during
the first year of full-scale operation. This would result in a
total of approximately 2400 items for processing during the first
year of full-scale operation.
F. As the need arises within AQCL, full use should be made of other,
related resources in acquiring knowledge of on-going research which
may not yet be published within the public domain. This would include
not only SIE but also could include direct contact with research
laboratories identified in the literature as carrying on related
research activities.
G. Because of the uniqueness of interests of the analytical methods com-
munity, the information storage and retrieval system should be a com-
puterized interactive system and initially be established as an
autonomous unit. This does not preclude eventual merging with an EPA
centralized or network information system if that mode of operation
is deemed feasible at some future time.
H. The cognizant laboratory as well as the information center should be
equipped with remote terminals for querying the system. The amount
of usage by the center itself, AQCL, and the regional laboratories (on
an experimental basis) is expected to be 2 hours per day, 50 weeks per
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year. Whether the terminals are cathode ray tubes or teletype units
will depend upon the needs as recognized by the Project Officer. One
or two additional terminals should be available to provide WQR Head-
quarters and other WQR Laboratories access to the information base on
a trial basis. As part of this activity, the possibility of providing
the regional laboratories access to the Information base on a cost-
incurred basis should be considered.
I. Funds should be allocated for vocabulary control as described within
this report.
J. Processing methods similar to those based in the pilot study should be
employed to minimize retyping costs and expedite preparation of machine-
readable input. Further, in conjunction with this recommendation, the
possibility of supplying this machine-readable input to WRSICor other
information systems should be investigated.
Services
The information services to be performed by the operational center should
include, in addition to the acquisitions and processing efforts, the pro-
vision of:
1. A Monthly Current Awareness Bulletin Containing Indexed
Abstracts of Literature on Analytical Methods.The Items
Included should be printed In 3" x 5" format on card
stock. The feasibility of perforating the individual items
and of distributing selected portions of the bulletin
according to technical interests should be investigated.
The bulletin should be distributed to those persons who
received the prototype issues. Modifications in the cir-
culation list will be at the discretion of the Project
Officer.
2. Loan Services Primarily to the Staff of the Cognizant Lab-
oratory.The possibility of arranging with the EPA
Library at the Taft Research Center to provide portions of
the loan services should be investigated.
3. Limited Translation Services. Because of the high cost,
translations of selected foreign-language documents would
be made only with the approval of the Project Officer.
4. Purchase of Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI)
Services.This service would be purchased by the informa-
tion center and distributed to the proper personnel within
the cognizant laboratory. The technical personnel, in turn,
would Identify useful material for inclusion in the infor-
mation center.
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uick Response Inquiries (QRI's). Funds should be provided
or approximately 20 QRI's to AQCL and 45 to the Division
of Water Quality Research Headquarters annually. All
requests for this service would be channeled through the
Project Officer.
6. Preparation of Abstracts as Input to WRSIC. The center
should, on a regular basis, contribute abstracts of those
documents concerned with analytical methods to the Water
Resources Scientific Information Center (WRSIC) or other
centralized information unit specified by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
7. Investigation of the Feasibility of Conducting Technical
Analysis Tasks.This type of activity could, if required,
be Implemented during the first year of full-scale opera-
tion if add-on funds were to be allocated.
Travel
Funds should be allocated to allow frequent (perhaps biweekly) contact
with the staff of the cognizant laboratory. In addition, at least one
visit should be made to some other WQR Laboratory, possibly the Southeast
Water Laboratory, and provision should be made for limited contact with
other facilities in Washington, D.C. Funds should also be available
to permit liaison with WQR Headquarters in Washington, D.C., since
those contacts serve to keep the staff of the center aware of the areas
of concern to the national program.
Final Report
A final report should be prepared at the end of the operational year of
the full-scale information center to summarize the results and procedural
modifications and suggest means of improving the center's effectiveness.
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SECTION II
PURPOSE OF CONTRACT
During 1969, the Battelle Memorial Institute provided in-house funds to
study the structure, operation, problems, laboratory interactions, and
communication-information needs, and other facets of the (then) Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration.(Reference 1) Certain information
needs within FWPCA became apparent as a result of this study. One of the
needs identified existed within the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory.
Based upon this recognition, Battelle's Columbus Laboratories proposed
to provide assistance in finding solutions to the information needs of
AQCL. The present program to provide technical assistance in the
development and operation of the Center of Competence in Analytical
Methodology was subsequently established.
Under this program, Battelle was commissioned to design and operate a proto-
type information center, which for the purposes of this report has been
designated the "Analytical Methodology Information Center" or "AMIC",
to serve as a model for full-scale operation. The establishment of the
Analytical Methodology Information Center was to include defining the
technical scope of operation, developing an acquisitions program,
investigating ways of interfacing with other documentation and information
facilities already operating within the Environmental Protection Agency,
establishing methods and procedures for document processing, and
recommending storage and retrieval mechanisms. These recommendations were
to be effected by actually processing information into an information
system and providing assistance to AQCL and the Division of Water Quality
Research in the form of quick response inquiries, current-awareness
services, report loan and copy service, and other adjunctive services.
The ultimate purpose of the contract, therefore, was to provide guide-
lines for establishing a full-scale information system which will
satisfy AQCL's requirements based upon the experiences gained from
operating the prototype center.
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
Preliminary to designing an information system to meet the needs of the
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory (AQCL), it is useful to examine the
organizational responsibilities as well as the activities of that
Laboratory.
AQCL Organization
When the AMIC contract went into effect, the AQCL was part of the Federal
Water Quality Administration. During the contract period, however, a new
federal agency, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was created to
combine and administer all federal programs concerned with the quality
of the environment. As a consequence of this action, the FWQA became part
of the EPA and the program elements were assigned to the various Assistant
Administrators. (Figures 1, 2, and 3.)
The AQCL itself, as shown in Figure 4, is organized along technical lines
so that maximum capabilities are concentrated in areas of greatest need.
As discussed in the section on Scoping and Definition, this organizational
arrangement provided the basis for defining the scope of the prototype
information center.
AQCL Responsibilities
In essence, AQCL has three assignments to satisfy by its activities:
(1) provide technical assistance to the regional and national water
programs (2) conduct the National Analytical Methods Development Research
Program (NAMDRP) and (3) serve as a center of competence for the Water
Resources Scientific Information Center (WRSIC).
Federal Water Program
It is quite obvious that AQCL, as an arm of EPA's Office of Research and
Monitoring, and more specifically of the Division of Water Quality Research,
must support the federal water program which includes acquisition of water
quality data, determination of compliance with water quality standards,
dissemination of information for planning water resources development,
evaluation of the effectiveness of water pollution abatement procedures,
and related research. AQCL supports the federal program by conducting pro-
grams which will ensure the reliability and legal defensibility of physi-
cal, chemical, and biological data which are collected by various labora-
tories throughout the U. S. These programs include research on analytical
methods, providing leadership in the selection of field and laboratory
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
ADMINISTRATOR
DEPUTY ADMI NISTRATOR
STAFF
OFFICE OF
CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
ASST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR
PLANNING & MANAGEMENT
OFFICE OF
ADMI NISTRATION
OFFICE OF
AUDIT
ASST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR ENFORCEMENT
& GENERAL COUNSEL
OFFICE OF
PLANNING &
EVALUATION
OFFICE OF
RESOURCES MGT,
OFFICE OF
ENFORCEMENT
OFFICE OF
GENERAL COUNSEL
REGIONAL
OFFICES
OFFICE OF
I NTERNATI ONAL AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF
PUBLIC AFFAIRS'
ASST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR
MEDIA PROGRAMS
ASST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR
CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS
ASST. ADMI NISTRATOR
FOR RESEARCH
& MONITOR! NG
OFFICE OF
AIR PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF
WATER PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF
PESTICIDES
PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF
RADIATION
PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF
SOLID WASTE
MGT. PROGRAMS
OFFICES
REGION 1
BOSTON
REGION 1 1
NEW YORK
REGION 111
PHILADELPHIA
REGION Iv
ATLANTA
REGION V
CHICAGO
REGION VI
DALLAS
REGION VII
KANSAS CITY
REGION VII I
DENVER
REGION IX
SAN FRANCISCO
REGION X
SEATTLE
FIGURE 1. ORGANIZATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(Reference 2)
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As ST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR
RESEARCH AND MONITORING
H.O.
ACTiKG DEPUTY ASST.
ADMI NISTRATOR
FOR
PROGRAM OPERATIOM
DEPUTY ASST. ADMINISTRATOR
FOR
RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT
ACTING DEPUTY ASST.
ADMI NISTRATOR
FOR
MONITOR!NG
H.Q.
H.O.
H.Q.
ACT i NG CHIEF,
AIR POLLUTION
RESEARCH
ACTING CHIEF,
AIR POLL.
SCIENCE AND
TECH. OFFICE
ACT i NG CHIEF,
PESTICIDES
RESEARCH
ACT i NG CHI EF,
RADIATION
RESEARCH
ACT i us CHIEF,
SOLID WATER
WASTES RESEARCH
ACT I NGlCHI EF,
WATER QUALITY
RESEARCH
DURHAM N. C.
ROCKVILLE, MD.
H.Q.
ROCKVILLE, Mo.
ROCKVILLE, MD.
ARLINGTON, VA.
FIGURE 2. ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE FOR RESEARCH AND MONITORING
(Reference 2)
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ACTING CHIEF,
Uater Duality Research
I
Division of Applied
Science and Techno!oqy
CYWI N
Planninq and
Resources Office
Division of Process
Research and Development
TECHNICAL PROGRAM DIRECTION TO:
I ND. & ASK. POLL. CONTR. RES. PROGRAM,
SOUTHEAST WATER LAB., ATHENS GEORGIA
MINE DRAINAGE POLL. CONTR. RES. ACTIVITIES
R.A. TAFT WATER RES. CTR., CINTI., OHIO
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT BRANCH,
HUDSON-DELAWARE BASINS OFF., EDISON, N. J.
TREATMENT & CONTROL RESEARCH PROGRAM,
R. S. KERB WATER RES. CTR., ADA, OKLA.
WASTE TREATMENT RESEARCH PROGRAM
PACIFIC N.W. WATER LAB., CORVALLIS, ORE.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM DIRECTION TO:
ADVANCED WASTE TREATMENT RES. LAB.
R. A. TAFT WATER RES. CTR., CINN., OHIO
ALASKA VILLAGE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AND
COLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ALASKA WATER LAB., COLLEGE, ALASKA
WATER QUALITY CONTROL RESEARCH PROTRAM
R. S. KERR WATER RES. CTR., ADA, OKLA.
FIGURE 3. ORGANIZATION OF WATER QUALITY RESEARCH
(Reference 3)
Division of Uater
Quality Research
TECHNICAL PROGRAM DIRECTION TO:
ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LAB.,
CINTI., OHIO
GROUND WATER POLL. RESEARCH PROGRAM,
R. S. KERR WATER RES. CTR., ADA, OKLA.
NAT'L COASTAL POLL. RESEARCH PROGRAM
NAT'L EUTROPHICATION RES. PROGRAM AND
NAT'L THERMAL POLL. RESEARCH PROGRAM
PACIFIC N.W. WATER LAB., CORVALLIS, ORE
NAT'L MARINE WATER QUALITY LAB.,
WEST KINGSTON, RH. ISLAND
NAT'L WATER QUALITY LABORATORY
DULUTH, MINN.
POLLUTION FATE RESEARCH PROGRAM AND
WATER CONTAMINANTS CHARACTERIZATION
RESEARCH PROGRAM
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ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY
D. G. Ballinger, Director
PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL METHODS
ACTIVITY
R. Kroner
General Analysis
Group
Spectroscopy
Group
Organics Group
BIOLOGICAL
METHODS
ACTIVITY
C. Weber
Benthos
Group
Plankton-
Pheriphyton
Group
MICROBIOLOGICAL
METHODS
ACTIVITY
R. Bordner
INSTRUMENTATION
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY
A. Mentink
METHODS AND
PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION ACTIVITIES
J. Winters
FIGURE 4. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY
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procedures, conducting a reference sample program for methods verification
and laboratory performance, advising laboratories in the development of
internal quality control, developing and evaluating automatic water quality
monitoring instrumentation, and assisting the EPA Regions ipAthe procure-
ment and installation of this type of equipment.(Reference 4) Further
detail on AQCL's technical activities is included in Appendix A.
National Analytical Methods Research Program
Early in 1970, the assistant commissioner for Research and Development and
the assistant commissioner for Operations initiated the National Analyti-
cal Methods Development Research Program (NAMDRP) by issuance of a joint
memorandum, which was amended July 7, 1970. (See Appendix B for complete
memoranda.) This program was established to assist the Division of Water
Quality Research in fulfilling its responsibility of developing analyti-
cal methods for the Federal Water Quality Administration (FWQA).
Three categories of methodology were recognized in this program:
(a) Research, (b) Standard, and (c) Special. Prime responsibility for
Standard Analytical Methodology was assigned to the Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory (AQCL) at Cincinnati, Ohio.
AQCL's responsibilities as specified by NAMDRP are to:
1. Develop "tools of the trade",
2. Ensure the reliability of analytical data gathered anywhere
within EPA,
3. Determine deficiencies in present analytical methods where
they are applied to salt water samples.
Under this authorization, AQCL retains responsibility for standard analyti-
cal methodology and is assigned additional responsibility for marine waters.
Also under this authorization, only AQCL may issue official EPA publications
on analytical methods. Other laboratories may publish accounts of their
analytical research, but may not indicate that they constitute official EPA
methods.IReference g. tf
Mater Resources Scientific Information Center Assignment
An additional responsibility was assigned to AQCL when it was designated
by the Water Resources Scientific Information Center as the center of
competence for "Methods for Chemical and Biological_ Identification and
Measurement of Pollutants".(Reference 7)
12
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In its role as the center of competence in analytical methodology, the
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory has a dual information responsi-
bility. First, its own scientific staff must remain abreast of the wealth
of new information related to analytical methods for determining water
quality and other pertinent scientific information which provide the
background for developing new methodology and determining its effectiveness,
Second, AQCL is assigned the responsibility for selectively providing
information relating to its subject areas to the Water Resources Scienti-
fic Information Center (WRSIC). This input is to be provided in the form
of abstracts and index terms formatted according to WRSIC guidelines.
Knowledge of the organization, activities, and responsibilities of AQCL,
as discussed in the previous paragraphs, served as a broad outline for
beginning the operation of a prototype information center.
13
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SECTION IV
METHODS OF SCOPING AND DEFINITION
Possibly the most fundamental element in the design of an information
center is the formulation and definition of the scope of activities. It
is this step in the design that defines the "world" in which the center
will operate, and it is upon this definition that subsequent activities,
such as acquisitions, are based. It is important to note that the scope
of a center should not necessarily remain fixed, but may in fact be very
fluid, gradually encompassing new technical areas of interest while, at
the same time, eliminating other areas. Much of the fluidity of the scope
results from variations of interest within the technical community served
by the center. For any information center to be a viable adjunct to the
technical community, it must continually be alert and responsive to the
variations of the scope of interest of the user audience
With the introduction of new technology and new products, it is reasonable
to expect that new problems in maintaining water quality will arise which
will overshadow or supersede former areas of interest and consequently
necessitate emphasis on new areas of activity. However, it must likewise
be recognized that, within the initial scope description, there are basic
elements which will remain largely unchanged.
Methods for Determining Scope
Since the Analytical Methodology Information Center program was established
to assist directly the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory of the
Division of Water Quality Research (Cincinnati), scoping and definition
were based primarily upon the interests within that facility as determined
from four main activities: (1) personal interviews with technical and
management staff, (2) Review of AQCL's work plans as of June 1970,
(3) preparation of the current av/areness bulletin, and (4) quick responses.
The latter two activities are described in detail in later sections of this
report. Hov/ever, discussion of their relation to the scoping efforts are
more appropriately included here along with the discussion of the personal
interviews and the AQCL work plans.
Personal Interviews
Because of the importance of proper scoping and definition to the prototype
center, considerable effort was devoted to this phase of the investigation.
Using unstructured interview techniques, a direct, personal approach was
used in order to assure the interest and response of individual AQCL staff
members. Their response and cooperation were most rewarding.
15
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The Initial interviews, conducted in July 1970, were designed to permit the
AQCL staff members the utmost latitude in describing their individual areas
of responsibility and professional interests. The basis for these inter-
views was a semi-formal presentation of the objectives of the program, the
anticipated method of operation, and the expected results. This original
presentation was immediately followed by personal interviews. Subsequent
discussions of scientific and technical areas related to, but beyond
analytical methodology, per se, were encouraged. As a result of the
initial interviews, several of the AQCL staff later prepared and submitted
lists of terms representing their interests. In addition, a list of the
journals circulated within AQCL provided excellent guidance to the
information sources of prime interest to staff members. Following these
initial interviews, efforts were made to identify and acquire technical
articles and reports of interest to the AQCL staff.
In September 1970, a second series of interviews was conducted with indivi-
dual AQCL staff members utilizing a more structured approach. Based upon
the first interviews, some 85 articles were selected from the open litera-
ture and segregated in accordance with individual interests. Each staff
member contacted during the second meeting was asked to review the material
and to comment upon its apparent value to him. Based upon the direct
comments obtained during these sessions, the preliminary scope of interests
was further defined.
A third visit employing the individual interview technique, was made in
November 1970. Emphasis, however, was shifted from the journal literature
to Federally supported report literature. The responses during these
interviews again resulted in refinement in the scope of interests of the
various segments of AQCL.
As previously stated, it was expected that the scope of AQCL's interests
would be fluid. While the interview phase of the scoping study was com-
pleted, refinement of scope continued in the form of feedback from the
publication of the current awareness bulletin, "Reviews of Current
Literature on Analytical Methodology", further personal contact, and
requests for quick response services.
AQCL Work Plans for FY 1971
The aims and future activities of AQCL as a whole are based upon the pro-
jections by the staff of technical areas of critical importance. These
projections, obviously, are based upon experience, current activities,
and current and anticipated needs. The final result of this planning - the
formulation of future work plans - very explicitly reflects the technical
areas of critical importance for the present and immediate future and
therefore serves as valuable guidance for scoping and definition. The AQCL
work plans as of June 1970 are included in Appendix C. These plans
provide an excellent overview of the activities within AQCL.
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Current Awareness Bulletin
Several aspects of the preparation and publication of the current awareness
bulletin ("Reviews of Current Literature on Analytical Methodology") proved
to be of great benefit in scoping and definition.
After the draft of the first bulletin was prepared, it was sent to the
Project Officer for his comments. He further circulated it to the chiefs
of the Activities of AQCL for their comments and suggestions. The result
of their review was a well summarized statement of the scope of each
Activity. These statements are included on the sample current awareness
bulletins reproduced as Figures 12a and 12b in a later section of this
report.
In addition, an evaluation form was included with each copy of the current
awareness bulletin distributed to the AQCL staff. This form permitted
each technical staff member to indicate his degree of interest in each
report included in his general area of interest. By reviewing the indivi-
dual and the summarized forms, the Battelle investigators were able to
determine what types of information v/ere of most importance, lesser impor-
tance, or of no interest to the staff. Furthermore, the evaluation forms
contained space for comments. On several occasions, the staff took advan-
tage of this space to-indicate areas of special interest which warranted
further coverage. In these ways, the current awareness bulletin contri-
buted significantly to the scoping effort in addition to serving the
intended purpose of informing the staff of the recently acquired items in
the Analytical Methodology Information Center. (The "Reviews" are discussed
in greater detail beginning with page 56.)
Quick Response Inquiries
Quick-response activities (see page 54 for definition) can serve two bene-
ficial purposes in scoping and definition. First, quick-response inquiries
during the initial phases of operation provided further guidelines to the
scope of interests. Second, and more important in the long term, they
enable the center to maintain the fluidity of scope which is required to
assure the viability of a center.
Quick-response inquiries made only a limited contribution to the scoping
effort because (1) only a relatively small amount of money was available
for this type of service, (2) a few of the inquiries v/ere obviously of
emphemeral interest, and (3) the prototype center did not operate long
enough to detect any modifications of the scope. It is apparent that in
the operation of a full-scale center, quick-response activities will play
a much more important part in identifying the current scope of interest.
17
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SECTION V
SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED INFORMATION CENTER
The Analytical Quality Control Laboratory is comprised of five Activities:
Physical and Chemical Methods, Biological Methods, Microbiological Methods,
Methods and Performance Evaluation, and Instrument Development.
Because of the importance of the scope of coverage to the success or fail-
ure of an information center, the following paragraphs present in con-
siderable detail the results of Battelle's study of the scope of information
required by AQCL.
Topics of general interest to the staff include:
Special problems related to the analysis of marine samples
Sample preservation and storage
Optimizing sampling frequency
Computer programs for data processing
Data interpretation
Water quality criteria, standards, and enforcement
Quality control
Development and improvement of specific methods.
Physical and Chemical Methods Activity
The Physical and Chemical Methods Activity employs many of the "traditional"
methods for analysis of pollutants in water and other media. These methods
consist primarily of "wet" chemical or instrumental analysis. Because of
the expansiveness and diversity of the methods, several subgroups have
been defined to ensure technical capability and coverage of the methods
available.
General Analysis Group
The General Analysis Group is concerned primarily with "wet" chemistry
methods. Their interests, however, may overlap those of other groups with-
in this activity, but may also cover methods that are not specifically
covered by other groups. The areas of current interest are:
Automation of Colorimetric Procedures
Evaluation of Specific Ion Electrodes
Methodology Related to Taste and Odor Causing Substances
Analysis of Silts
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Analysis of Sludges
Nutrient Analysis
Determination of Total Phosphorus in Organic Samples
Methods for Measuring NTA (nitrilotriacetate)*
Indications are that effluent analysis will soon be Initiated and will con-
tinue to play an important part in the activities of the General Analysis
Group.
Spectrographic Group
Although the name may imply rather restricted interests, the interests of
this group actually extend beyond spectrographic methods. The instrumental
methods of interest include visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and fluorescence
spectroscopy, helium glow techniques, emission spectroscopy, atomic absorp-
tion, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and some wet chemical techniques.
Pollutants of current interest are trace elements, primarily heavy metals.
These are analyzed not only in the aquatic environment, but also in
biological tissue, urine, soils, and plants. Because of the mercury crisis
in 1970, much of the interest in this Group has centered on the analysis of
mercury in waters, sediments, and aquatic organisms. However, other heavy
metals, such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead, are expected to be of con-
siderable importance in the coming year.
Although the characterization of oils falls in the domain of one of the
other activities at AQCL, the spectroscopy group is interested in this area
because one of the methods being considered for oil characterization is the
analysis of trace metals in the oils. However, this interest is primarily
related to the instrumentation involved in the analysis rather than the
chemistry.
Organics Group
A large portion of the interest of the Organics Group revolves around
chromatographic methods for analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls, organo-
phosphorus pesticides, organic nitrogen compounds, organochlorine pesti-
cides, nitrilotriacetate (NTA), and petroleum products. They are also
interested in related laboratory techniques such as extraction methods,
carbon adsorption methods for recovery of organic compounds, and opera-
tional techniques related to chromatography.
Biological Methods Activity
The abundance and composition of communities of aquatic organisms are use-
ful in determining the presence or absence of certain conditions or con-
taminants in the environment. Methodology important to the two groups in
20
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this Activity, therefore, includes techniques for collecting and processing
samples, counting and identifying the organisms, and evaluating and inter-
preting the data. Information related to the water quality requirements of
the organisms and their sensitivity to toxic and nutritive substances is
also of interest.
Benthos Group
The interest of this group is confined principally to the macroinvertebrates
that live on or in the bottom of bodies of water. The macroinvertebrates
are those invertebrates that are retained on a U. S. Standard No. 30 sieve
(0.059 mm openings). Techniques now under development or evaluation
include the use of artificial substrates and mechanical sampling devices.
Current techniques used for sorting the macroinvertebrates from the debris
in the samples are normally very tedious and time consuming and, therefore,
need to be improved and streamlined by the use of stains and mechanical
devices.
Plankton-Periphyton Group
The interests of this group are similar to those of the Benthos Group except
that organisms of concern are generally microscopic and live on the bottom
or within the water column. The organisms of concern consist of zooplank-
ton, phytoplankton, diatoms, algae, protozoa, filamentous bacteria, and
some fungi. The specific subjects of interest to this group are develop-
ment of methods for measuring total plankton and periphyton biomass, methods
of automatic phytoplankton counting, diatom identification, periphyton col-
lection and identification, imp'oved methods of extracting, identifying,
and quantitating algal pigment, and methods for measuring the effects of
toxic effluents on natural communities of microorganisms.
Microbiological Methods Activity
The role of Microbiological Methods in water quality investigations^ to
develop new, improved, or modified procedures which will provide evidence
of fecal pollution by the enumeration of certain bacterial indicator
groups and to demonstrate the risk to public health by the presence of
disease-causing microorganisms which are waterborne, such as bacteria,
viruses, yeasts, and fungi.
The most common indicator groups which are found in large numbers in sew-
age are the total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci.
The densities of these microorganisms in water are indicative of fecal
pollution. More rapid, accurate, and simple methods for detecting and
counting these bacteria are presently being investigated. The search is
continuing for other groups of microorganisms, such as Clostridia, Pseudomonas,
21
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enteropathogenic £. Coli, Streptococcus bovis. and others which may have
potential as Indicators of general or specific types of pollution.
There is a current need to develop procedures for the identification and
enumeration of possible waterborne pathogens including Salmonella.
Shigella. Brucella. Leptospira. Pasteurella. Vibrios, mycobacterla, and
viruses.
Microbiological methodology has traditionally used cultural, biochemical,
morphological, and serological tests. Interest is now centered on new
techniques for the rapid identification and enumeration of indicators and
pathogens. The Interests of the Microbiological Methods Activity
include: tests for the aforementioned microorganisms in fresh and marine
waters, sediments, and soils; effluent monitoring; survival of micro-
organisms; sample methods and preservation; membrane filter techniques;
biochemical tests; automation of methods; fluorescent antibody
techniques; radioactive tracer studies; water quality standards; and
computerized data handling.
Methods and Performance Evaluation Activity
The Methods and Performance Evaluation Activity functions somewhat dif-
ferently from the rest of the activities within AQCL. Rather than develop-
ing analytical techniques, it is responsible for the validity and general
applicability of the methods that have been suggested by other activities
in AQCL and other EPA laboratories. An additional function is the con-
tinued evaluation of the performance of analysts in the various agency
laboratories throughout the United States. Briefly, the official methods
selected by EPA are evaluated in a controlled study by analysts in
agency laboratories throughout the United States. The laboratories are
Informed of the test procedures and are supplied unknown samples con-
taining various constituents. The analysts run the analyses and provide
the results to the Methods and Performance Evaluation Activity.
Evaluation of the analysts' results establishes the precision and
accuracy of the method, and any interference or any other problems
encountered. Based upon these results, the formal statements of precision
and accuracy are prepared for each official EPA method.
The other primary function of this activity is to provide a continuing
supply of reference samples for intralaboratory quality control to the
analysts in agency, state, local and private laboratories.
The principal areas of interest to this Activity include: applied statis-
tics; collaborative testing; interlaboratory quality control; evaluation
of analytical methods and performance; statistical treatment of analytical
data; computer programs for statistical analyses; quality control in the
laboratory; experimental design, chemical, biological, and microbiological
methodology. These interests cover a very large body of information.
Therefore, the scope must be restricted to those segments which specifically
relate to the interest of this Activity.
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Instrument Development Activity
The main interest of this Activity is the development of instrument systems
for continuous and remote monitoring of water quality parameters. These
systems include not only the sensors which are used to measure the para-
meters, but also the ancillary equipment necessary for transporting the
water from stream or lake to the sensors, and the data transmission and
recording systems. The scope of the Instrument Development Activity covers
intake systems - water lines, wells, motors, pumps, and mode of operation;
sensors or probes - electrochemical, electrobiological, thermodynamic,
mechanical, optical, and nuclear; data analyzers - analog and digital
amplifiers, and output displays; recording systems - telemetry, data logging,
and digital data processors; component specifications; and capabilities of
small computers. There is currently a keen interest in the development of
"new" probes for measuring previously unmonitored water quality parameters.
Concluding Statements on Scope
The foregoing discussion of the technical interests of the various
Activities of the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory is indicative of
the broad scope to be covered by an information center on analytical
methodology.
Experience gained from operating other information centers at Battelle has
shown that the scope of a center changes with shifts in the interests and
activities of the user audience. Therefore, the foregoing statements of
scope are not considered to be absolute, but rather form a basis for the
initial establishment of an information base which will remain dynamic by
responding to changes in interests and emphasis within the EPA program.
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SECTION VI
ACQUISITIONS
Since it is contingent upon knowledge of scope, the acquisitions program
is initiated after the sphere of interest for an information analysis
center has been established by the scoping and definition effort. It
should be pointed out that, after the preliminary definition of scope,
scoping and acquisition efforts are maximized if they are interactive.
That is, when an initial knowledge of the scope of interest has been gained,
the acquisitions phase should begin so that initial screening will generate
questions which, when resolved, provide further definition of the scope.
The initial activities connected with the scoping provided a firm basis
for the acquisitions phase of the program.
The next step v/as to compare the sources cited by the AQCL staff with the
holdings of the Battelle libraries. The sources cited by the AQCL staff
and available at Battelle were given priority coverage in order to demon-
strate to the AQCL staff the capability of an information program to
obviate much of their individual activities related to coverage of the
literature. In addition, as time permitted, the entire holding of
current journals in the Battelle Main Library (about 2,500 titles) was
reviewed to identify all sources available which might contain pertinent
information. As a result, a total of about 105 journals and six abstract
sources were regularly reviewed. An integral part of the acquisitions
activity was the recording of the number of items of interest that
occurred in a given journal over several months time. This record was
analyzed to project the annual occurrence of pertinent articles from
these sources alone. (See Appendix D). This projection was combined
with other data to predict the total amount of journal literature that
could be expected for an operational center.
During the study, additional important information sources were iden-
tified as off-shoots of other activities and as a result of contacts with
the AQCL staff and efforts of the Project Officer. Since many of these
were not readily accessible or sufficient funds were not available for
coverage, they were not reviewed during the pilot study. These addi-
tional journals and abstract sources are listed in Appendix E and recom-
mended for regular coverage by an operational Analytical Methodology
Information Center.
In addition to the journal literature, concern was expressed at AQCL
about Government research reports which are not brought to the attention
of the AQCL staff. To cover these reports, the Government Reports
Announcements (GRA) which is published by the National Technical Informa-
tion Service, and the Technical Abstract Bulletin (TAB), which is pub-
lished by the Defense Documentation Center, were reviewed on a regular
basis. Significant material was identified through both of these
resources. Approximately 147 reports were purchased from the National
25
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Technical Information Service for dissemination to AQCL. Economic
restrictions did not permit coverage of the Atomic Energy Commission's
Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) and NASA's Scientific and Technical
Aerospace Reports (STAR), although some pertinent AEC reports v/ere iden-
tified and obtained through the Battelle AEC Library facility and a
computer search was made of the NASA holdings, and pertinent reports were
ordered. Since the NASA search was largely unproductive, coverage of
NASA reports was maintained through the Government Reports Announcements.
Additional reports and theses were identified by means of Dissertation
Abstracts, journal screening and numerous other sources.
Data on the number of documents identified from the various sources dur-
ing the pilot study have been used to project the total number of new
items that could be expected annually from each source. These estimates
are included in Table 1.
TABLE 1. NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS ACCESSIONED DURING THE PILOT STUDY AND
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL INPUT BY SOURCE.
Total Accessioned Estimated Annual
Source on Pilot Study Input
Journals 927 1425
AQCL Reports 13 5
NTIS Reports 147 340
Other Reports (including theses) 58 60
Totals 1145 1830
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SECTION VII
INFORMATION SYSTEM
The information system as described in this section is not limited to
the hardware employed in the information handling. Rather, it includes
all of the ancillary operations which are conducted so that the hardware
portion of the system can function.
As stated in the section on ACQUISITIONS, the prime sources of infor-
mation were identified early In the operations phase of the program.
Subsequently, these sources were regularly reviewed for input to the
information base.
Information Processing
Information processing as considered here begins after acquisition of a
document. The main processing steps for the prototype Analytical
Methodology Information Center consisted of:
(1) Document logging
(2) Abstracting and indexing
(3) Quality checking
(4) Typing drafts of abstracts
(5) Abstract editing
(6) Typing of the current awareness bulletin
(7) Typing of WRSIC abstracts
(8) Loading the computerized information system.
At this juncture, it should be pointed out that the information center
had three responsibilities to satisfy regarding information processing:
(1) publication of the current awareness bulletin, (2) provision of
abstracted and indexed material to WRSIC, and (3) preparation of machine-
readable input for the computerized information storage and retrieval
system. These three requirements were satisfied by the processing pro-
cedures shown in Figure 5.
27
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FOR OLDER MATERIAL
DISCARD
AFTER 1 YEAR
CHECK IS BY THIS §
REJECT DUPLICATES
ASSIGN ACCESSION
NUMBERS TO
NON DUPLICATES
PUNCHED PAPER
TAPE (BIBLIOGRAPHIC
CITATION!
ABSTRACTING. INDEXING
AND QUALITY CHECK
TO DISTRIBUTION LIST
FIGURE 5. DOCUMENT PROCESSING PROCEDURES IN THE ANALYTICAL
METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER
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Document Logging
The first step in processing the acquired documents into the system con-
sisted of assigning accession numbers and simultaneously preparing
(a) bibliographic cards for filing by title, and (b) bibliographic por-
tions of the WRSIC forms by filing by accession number. These, steps were
performed simply by typing the WRSIC form (see Figure lOa) and a carbon
copy on a 5" x 8" card (see Figure 6). The title file, comprised of the
bibliographic cards, was used for checking whether new acquisitions were
duplicates of items already in the system; the partially completed WRSIC
forms were used in subsequent preparation of abstracts, especially those
for WRSIC.
The logging phase also included the first step in preparation of machine-
readable input to the information system. Since typing was done on a
paper-tape typewriter, punched tapes of the bibliographic information
were prepared simultaneously. The paper tapes were filed for use in
subsequent processing.
A paper-tape machine was chosen for two main reasons: (1) ease of sort-
ing for specific abstracts, (2) capacity for long abstracts and many
index terms. Other types of input devices may be considered in future
operations.
Abstracting and Indexing
A major portion of the pilot operation effort was devoted to abstract-
ing and indexing since these are the basic elements of information
processing. The activity in this area was rather small at the inception
of operations. However, as operations progressed and the need arose for
input to the current awareness bulletin, additional staff effort was con-
centrated on abstracting. Consequently, during the pilot study, 470
documents, of a total of 1145 accessioned, were abstracted and indexed.
The level of effort permitted on the study was insufficient for process-
ing all the documents collected; therefore, at the termination of the
operational portion of the study, AMIC had a backlog of 675 items to be
abstracted.
Quality Checking
After abstracts and index terms were prepared they were quality checked
as part of the effort to ensure the accuracy and adequacy of the
abstracting and indexing. An important part of quality checking was
vocabulary control which is described in the following paragraphs.
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AMIC-1059
Wisconsin University, Milwaukee, Center for Great Lakes Studies
BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL OUALITY, GREEN BAY, LAKE MICHIGAN,
Howmiller, R. P.,
Beeton, A. M.
Journal of the Vlater Pollution Control Federation, Vol. 43, No. 1,
p 123-133, January 1971. 8 fig, 2 tab, 18 ref.
FIGURE 6. SAMPLE OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC CARD
30
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Vocabulary Control. Adequate indexing is mandatory if any information
storage and retrieval system is to function satisfactorily. When the
storage and retrieval is computerized, deep indexing is not sufficient;
vocabulary control must also be applied. The most desirable method of
vocabulary control is by use of a thesaurus. Therefore, the Water
Resources Thesaurus. which was developed for WRSIC, was consulted by the
indexers to provide at least partial vocabulary control. However, with
the depth of indexing required for AQCL's purposes, the WRSIC thesaurus
was not extensive enough to include many of the terms used. Consequently,
much of the vocabulary control was based purely on the indexers' and
quality checker's judgment and memory since no reference manual was avail-
able to cover these occurrences.
One product which resulted from building the index file on the computer
was a listing of all the index terms used. This index list proved very
useful in vocabulary control. It was used to identify and correct mis-
spellings and inconsistencies such as the terms "agar" and "agars" shown
in the samples reproduced as Figure 7.
Furthermore, tne listing can serve as a dictionary when the information
base is queried. In actual operation, inconsistencies and misspellings
cause no loss of information since the improper terms can be identified
by making stem searches. Stem searches could be made on the Battelle
information system by typing portions of a word followed by an asterisk,
e.g., "analyt*". The computer would then list all the terms in the index
beginning with those letters. However, their existence requires that
additional terms be employed to get a complete response to a query.
As discussed in a later section on WRSIC Indexing Versus Indexing for
AQCL, page 45, the Project Officer requested that indexing be as specific
as possible. However, when the computerized information system was demon-
strated, the terms used in the queries were many times generic terms such as
"macroinvertebrates", "pesticides", and "diatoms". Since indexing was
done primarily on specifics, responses on generic searches were not
always all inclusive. These experiences demonstrated the need for another
aspect of vocabulary control - generic posting. (When a document number
is connected to an index term, it is said to be "posted" on that term.)
Since an exhaustive thesaurus is not presently available to cover the
subject area of interest, manual generic posting should be incorporated
in the indexing procedure. This discussion serves to illustrate the
desirability of developing and incorporating in an information system a
suitable thesaurus. The inclusion of a thesaurus permits the indexer
to concentrate on specific, narrow aspects of each document. The compu-
ter can be programmed to post to the proper generic terms. Manual
generic posting requires considerable effort on the part of the indexer,
both intellectually and in performing manual "look-up". Future develop-
ment of AMIC should incorporate attention to thesaurus development and
vocabulary control.
Another aspect of vocabulary control became obvious during the demon-
stration of the system at AQCL. This was the need for elimination of
synonymous terms such as "analytical methods" and "analytical techniques".
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Eliminating synonymous terms is more difficult than eliminating misspel-
lings and inconsistencies since synonymous terms often are very much
different in spelling and consequently do not appear near each other in
an alphabetical listing. Consequently, more intellectual effort and time
are required for controlling synonymous terms. The experience gained
during the pilot study suggests that vocabulary control as discussed
above definitely should be incorporated as a vital function in an opera-
tional information center.
Typing Drafts of Abstracts
The next step in processing was to type first drafts of the abstracts to
make up the current awareness bulletin. In this first typing, the
abstracts were typed individually and a punched paper tape prepared
simultaneously.
Abstract Editing
Upon completion of typing, the first draft of the abstract was edited
for typographical, grammatical, and any other errors.
Typing of the Current Awareness Bulletin
To prepare the current awareness bulletin, the punched paper tape of the
bibliographic portion of a document and of the draft were rerun while the
edited draft copy was consulted by the machine operator. The automatic
retyping was interrupted when corrections were to be made. The products
of this typing were the camera-ready copy of the "Reviews" and a corrected
paper tape for use 1n typing the WRSIC abstracts and as input to the
computerized information storage and retrieval system.
Typing of WRSIC Abstracts
The corrected paper tapes which were prepared during the typing of the
current awareness bulletin were simply rerun on the WRSIC abstract forms
to prepare them for WRSIC.
Loading the Computerized Information System
Once a corrected paper tape had been prepared, it was a relatively simple
task to use it as Input to the computer since programs are available
which convert punched paper tape to computer language.
33
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Use of the paper tape typewriter minimized final typing time and prepara-
tion time for WRSIC abstracts and largely eliminated keypunching as a
means of preparing computer input. The multiple use of the paper tape,
therefore, results in considerable cost savings since each one of these
preparations would have been required in fulfilling the obligations of
the information center and if provided individually v/ould have cost much
more.
Potential of Providing Machine Readable Input to Other Information Centers
As stated in the preceding paragraphs, the punched paper tape that was
prepared during the information processing proved valuable as machine-
readable input into the computerized information system. This application
suggests a further possible function of the information center - providing
machine-readable input to other information bases, namely, WRSIC and/or
EPA's Technical Information and Management Planning System (TIMPS).
Since the Analytical Methodology Information Center would likely prepare
computer input for itself on a regular basis, this input could probably
be used directly by other systems. In the mode that the pilot center
operated, it would be possible to provide punched paper tapes, punched
cards, or magnetic tape.
There are a number of impediments to direct system interaction, the main
ones resulting from differences in the operating systems of computers.
Therefore, direct system interaction should be carefully studied to deter-
mine its utility. Such a study would require that the system outside the
one being used by the Analytical Methodology Information Center be
investigated to uncover areas of incompatibility and find approaches for
dealing with them.
Computerized Information Storage and Retrieval System
The proposal submitted by Battelle to design and operate a prototype
information center suggested that an optical coincidence retrieval sys-
tem be employed for a demonstration system. It was soon recognized,
however, that such a system would not satisfy the applications antici-
pated by the AQCL staff, which are to provide a means for direct access to
the system at AQCL and possibly at other laboratories in the future.
The main reasons for rejecting the optical coincidence system were that
(1) updating would entail either recalling all the cards or providing
multiple sets for exchanging and updating and (2) the capacity of the
equipment probably would be insufficient to handle the broad scope of
AQCL's interests. Therefore, plans were shifted early in the program to
include a demonstration of the information base on a computerized infor-
mation storage and retrieval system.
34
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Description of the Battelle Computer System
In March, 258 abstracted and indexed items were loaded on Battelle's
Control Data Corporation 6400 computer. The information package employed
on the pilot operation is called BASIS-70 and was developed by Battelle.
As used on the pilot operations, the system provided the following
capabilities:
(1) Title word searches
(2) Author searches
(3) Facility searches
(4) Index term searches
(5) Boolean logic
(6) Display of any or all information fields in any
order. (The fields are: (1) accession number,
facility, (3) title, (4) author(s),
bibliographic data, (6) index terms,
(7
abstract.)
(7) "Nearby term" and stem displays
(8) Display of any portion of any specific document
by means of accession number.
The system may be queried by acoustical teletype terminal, hard-line
teletype terminal, or cathode ray tube (CRT).
Sample Searches of the Computerized Information System
To demonstrate some of the aforementioned capabilities, samples of two
actual searches with descriptions of the procedures are shown in Figure 8.
In this particular example, the searcher first desired to find references
to the literature having to do with the toxicity of nitrilotriacetate.
He was able to accomplish this by making a Boolean search of all documents
within the AMIC data base which discussed both toxicity and nitrilotri-
acetate, as shown in Figure 9a. As a result of the search, he identified
the article "A Screening Technique for Estimating Copper Toxicity to
Estuarine Phytoplankton".
Of course, as the AMIC data base grows, the number of "hits" (or respon-
ses satisfying the search criteria), for such a simple search may become
sufficiently large that he might desire to further narrow his search by
adding the term "Phytoplankton". See Figure 9b.
35
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BATTELLE INTERCOM 2
DATE 33/33/71
TIME S3- 12 o^.
LC3IM
TYPE VALID
TYPE VALID
33/33/71
USER NA;.;E-
PASSWORD-
IS-
BA
SIS
LOGGED IN AT 39«
WITH USER-ID 2F
COMMAND- 0
(t'HASE I)
IS ON LINF I
DO YOU DESIRE OPERATING
TYrE YES OR NO/NO
PLEASE ENTER YOUR LAST NAV-E-
THE NAV.F OF DATA BASE
A M I C
YOUR SEARCH
ENTER
13-31
INSTRUCTIONS?
/LI TTLE
TO 3E SEARCHED-
ENTER
REQUEST (ONE
Ml TRGLG1RIACETME
SUCH TERM* '.VANT ADJACENT
s TO YO"R TERN;
XAT ION'
NO
I TEVS-'JE-1R3Y TES
2 MTROGEN F
SEARCH TERM AT A TIKE)
TERMS? YES:NO/YES
I/
1 M TROGEN NUTRIENTS
(YOUR' TES,v)
3 ''JITZSCHIA
1 MTZSCHIA (PALEA)
NITRILOTRI/.CETA IE
1 I
(ONE SEARCH TERM AT A TIKE)
TEM
2/ TOXICITY
33 ITEMS
3/ (1 AND 2)
1 ITEM
ENTER YOUR SEARCH REQUEST
4/ (DISPLAY 3)
THE DATA ELEMENTS FOR THE AMIC DATA 3ASE ARE
1-ACCESSICN NUV,ER«
2-FACILITY.
3-TITLE'
4-AUTMGR(S)
5-OM3L IOGRAPHIC DATA.
C-INDEX TERN'S*
7-A3SIRACT.
VHAT FIELDS DC YOU WANT TO SEE?
ENTER FIELD NUMBERS SEPARATED BY CON'MAS OR ALL
/ 1 »5»3
ITE;-;S FROM THE AMIC DATA BASE ARE • •••
ITEM i
ACCESSION NUMBER : 449
COMPUTER RESPONSE
USER COMMAND
USER'S CODE NAME AND
PASSWORD
USER COMMAND
USER ASKS FOR AMIC, THE
ACRONYM FOR THE
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
INFORMATIOH CENTER
AfTEH THE FILE IS ATTACHED
(BY THE COMPUTER), THAT
SYSTEM IS READY FOR
QUERYING
NOTICE MISSPELLING OF
FIRST TERM.
NEARBY TERM CAPABILITY
BOOLEAN SEARCH
USER ASKS TO SEE THE
ITEM SATISFYING THE
BOOLEAN SEARCH
THE FIELDS TO IE DISPLAYED
ARE! 1. ACCESSION
NUMBER, 5. BIBLIOGRAPHIC
DATA, 3. TITLE IN THAT
ORDER
FIGURE 8. SA'VLE SEARCHES OF THE AMIC INFORMATION BASE WITH DESCRIPTIVE
NOTFS
36
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BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA : JOURNAL OF THE WATER
POLLUTION CONTROL FEDERATION (RES- SUPP
LE»)» VOL- 42« NO- 8» PART 2« P R270-R27
5. AUGUST 197-2. 1 FIG' 5 TA3« 17 REF.
TITLE : A SCREENING TECHNIQUE FOR ESTIMATING COR
PER TOXICITY TO ESTUARINE PHYTOFLANKTON«
FINISHED WITH PRINTOUT- CONTINUE ENTERING SEARCH TERN'S-
ENTER YOUR SEARCH REQUEST (ONE SEARCH TERM AT A T I WE) USER REQUESTS * SPECIFIC
I/ (DISPLAY (684)) BOCUME1(T
ENTER FIELD NUMBERS SEPARATED "BY COMf-AS OR ALL
/ 1»2»3»4«5'7
ITEJ-'S FROM THE AKIC DATA BASE ARE
I TEN: 1
ACCESS IOM NUM3ER : 684
FACILITY : NORTH CAROLINA UNIVERSITY' CHA
PEL HILL« WATER RESOURCES RE-SEARCH INSTI
TUTE
TITLE : THE RELATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF PHOSPHORUS
AND NITROGEN AS ALGAL NUTRIENTS'
AUTMOR(S) : WEISS' CHARLES N-
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA : ESE PUBLICATION N0«
24C» REPORT NO- 34» JUNE 1973- 54 P. 27
FIG» 8 REF» PB 194 254-
ABSTRACT : EXAMINATION OF THE INTEPACTIO
N BETWEEN NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS SPECIE
S RELATIVE TO ALGAL GROWTH IN SEVERAL F
RESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS OF DIFFERING TROP
HIC STATE HAS MADE POSSIBLE THE ESTA3LIS
HKENT OF THE RELATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF TH
ESE ELEMENTS AS ALGU NUTRIENTS. THE ALG
AL ASSAY WAS CARRIED OUT USING MEMBRANE
FILTERED SAMPLES DERIVED FROM A SERIES 0
F OXIDATION PCSDS RECEIVING SECONDARY EF
FLUENT FKOM A TRICKLING FILTER PLANT AND
FROM SAMPLES DERIVED FROM SAMPLING POIN
TS ON THE NEW HOPE AND HAW RIVERS- THE L
ATTER REPRESENTED A SERIES OF CHANGING R
IVER QUALITIES WITH PARTICULAR RESPECT T
0 THE OXIDATION STATES OF NITROGEN AND P
HOSPHCRUS. THE ALGAL ASSAY USED PURE CUl
TURES OF FIVE SPECIES: EUGLEMA ROSTIFERA
» CHLAMYDOKONAS REINHARDTII' ' PANDORINA
KORllKt SCENEDUSKUS OUADRICADUA- AND CHL
ORELLA ELLIPSOIDER. THE RESULTS OF BOTH
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASSAY EXAMINED T
HRCUGH VULTtPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF T
HE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE INVOLVED IN THE
ALGAL ASSAY AS WELL AS A QUADRATIC ANALY
SIS CF COVARIANCE OF NH 3 -N' NO 3 -N AN
FIGURE 8. SAMPLE SEARCHES OF THE AMIC INFORMATION BASE WITH DESCRIPTIVE
NOTES (Continued)
37
-------
D PO 4 -F ESTABLISHED THE RELATIVE SIGNI
FICAMCE OF THE NITROGEN' AND PHOSPHORUS S
FECIES IN VATER CONTAINING HIGH CONCENTR
ATIONS OF THESE ELEMENTS' CONCENTRATIONS
NORMALLY FOUND IV DISCHARGES FROM RIOLO
CICAL WASTE TREATMENT PLANTS A NO FOLLOWI
NG DILUTION IN RECEIVING STREAMS. UNDER
THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THE
AT THE QUANTITY OF NITROGEN RATHER THAN
THAT OF PHOSPHORUS DETERMINES THE 3 I OKAS
S OF ALGAE THAT WIGHT BE EXPECTED TO GRO
W- IT WOULD THUS APPEAR THAI THE OUESTIO
N OF ALGAL NUTRIENTS TAKES ON A SOMEWHAT
MORE FORMIDABLE DIMENSION DUE TO THE CO
NSIDERABLY GREATER DIFFICULTY IN RENOVIM
G IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS THE NITROGEN TH
AT IS NORMALLY FOUND IN MUNICIPAL WASTEV
ATERS-
FIMISHEO WITH PRINTOUT. CONTINUE ENTERING SEARCH TERNS-
16/ (QUIT) USER TERMIKATES SEARCH
BASIS 70 HAS
ENJOYED SERVING YOU*
DC YOU HAVE ANY CONTENTS?
YES :NO/NO
(DONT FORGET TO "LOGOUT." 3EFORE DISCONNECTING-)
GOODBYE
13.32.52. END SA3IS USER toes OUT
CCWMiND- LOGOUT-
CP TIME 1-916 SEC-
FF TIME 128.3Cd SEC.
32/32/71 LOGGED OUT AT 10.33«13<
FIGURE 8. SAMPLE SEARCHES OF THE AMIC INFORMATION BASE WITH DESCRIPTIVE
NOTES (Continued)
38
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ALL DOCUMENTS
OISCUSSING "TOXICITY"
DESIRED DOCUMENTS
FIGURE 9a. A SIMPLE BOOLEAN SEARCH STRATEGY USING TWO TERMS
DESIRED DOCUMENTS
FIGURE 9b. A NARROWER BOOLEAN SEARCH STRATEGY
39
-------
In the second search, he requested the display of a particular document
with which he was familiar. Other approaches he might have used were
author or the presence of a given word in the title. These too, could
have been used in conjunction with Boolean search strategies, had he
desired.
The sample searches demonstrate that the logic for this system is
extremely simple, permitting the average user to command the system with
a minimum of instructions. Indeed, the average user is frequently able
to take command of this system within four or five minutes.
Of course, there are other capable information programs available. It
is not the intent, here, to evaluate or compare various information stor-
age and retrieval systems. Rather, the intent is to illustrate the state
of the art of such systems and to demonstrate their utility in serving
a user audience such as AQCL.
Demonstration of the AMIC Information System
Although some 470 items were abstracted and indexed, time constraints
permitted loading only 258 of the items on the computerized information
system for demonstration to the AQCL staff. The Battelle researchers
believed that the system should be demonstrated to give the AQCL staff a
"feel" for the potential capabilities of the information center.
The demonstration did not consist of "canned" searches, but began with
one of the Battelle staff making a sample search, with the AQCL staff
subsequently making searches of their own with the Battelle staff pro-
viding guidance.
Even with only 258 items in the system, the users frequently got hits on
their queries. The demonstration pointed up the simplicity of using the
system, since those of the AQCL staff who had the opportunity were able to
successfully query the information base with minimal coaching. As a re-
sult, the AQCL staff was enthusiastic not only about the system, but
also about the content and potential value of the information base itself.
Computer Storage Required for the Demonstration System
One uncertainty which is difficult to estimate and has an important
effect on operations costs is the amount of computer storage space
required for the information base. To get a better estimate of these
values, the storage required for the 258 sample abstracts was analyzed.
The results showed that each item averaged 2,850 characters (one charac-
ter requires one unit of storage space) for the abstract and bibliographic
information and 1,720 characters for index terms, for a total of 4,570
characters/item. It should be noted that some of this storage space is
40
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required for the computer operating system. The system requirements will
decline relative to the total amount of information as additional items
are loaded into the system. Likewise, additional postings on index terms
now in the system will require a smaller amount of additional storage.
These facts do not necessarily imply that total storage per item will
diminish in the future. It is likely that it will remain approximately
the same or increase since there is a possibility that abstracts will
increase in size, indexing may be expanded (primarily by hierarchical
posting), and features will be added to the computer system, thereby add-
ing to storage space requirements. Consequently, costing for the opera-
tional center was based on an average number of characters per item which
was greater than that of the sample documents.
Interface With the Water Resources Scientific Information Center (WRSIC)
As the "Center of Competence for Methods for Chemical and Biological
Identification and Measurement of Pollutants", it is the responsibility
of the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory to identify, abstract, and
index information on analytical methodology for inclusion in the Water
Resources Scientific Information Center (WRSIC). As part of the pilot
operation of the Analytical Methodology Information Center (AMIC) it
became Battelle's responsibility to provide this input to WRSIC as well
as to Investigate ways in which the WRSIC/AQCL/AMIC interactions could
occur in the most beneficial way.
Brief Review of the Water Resources Scientific Information Center
At this point a brief review of WRSIC, its function, and its operations
is desirable. WRSIC was established by the Secretary of the Interior under
the Office of Water Resources Research on January 25, 1966. Initial fund-
ing of WRSIC was made in FY 1968. The objectives of WRSIC, as stated by
the Manager, Raymond A. Jensen,(Reference 8) are:
(1) To serve as a focal point for national water
resource technical information activities
(2) To initiate efforts to coordinate and complement
existing technical information services
(3) To provide central operation of such water re-
source technical information services as can be
best accomplished on a nationwide level
(4) To Insure rapid flow of technical information
to Interested individuals and agencies
41
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As of this writing, WRSIC has established 15 centers which will provide
inputs to the system in specific technical areas of competence as shown
in Table 2. It is the responsibility of these centers to provide a
comprehensive coverage of all published material related to water resources
in their particular subject area. These and other centers which will be
established are to furnish the abstracting and indexing services which
will provide the material to make up the water resources data base.
Visit to the Water Resources Center (University of Wisconsin). During
the course of the project, the Project Officer deemed it desirable that
the researchers visit another center of competence to investigate its
operations. Consequently, a visit was made to the Water Resources Center
at the University of Wisconsin to discuss the Eutrophlcation Information
Program which is the WRSIC Center of Competence in Eutrophication.
The Eutrophication Program is one of the projects of the Water Resources
Center and is funded by grant money from OWRR, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Soap and Detergent Association, and EPA. It consists of the
information activity, which provides abstracts for WRSIC, and 9-10
research projects.
In this activity a graduate student screens Current Contents to identify
articles of interest. Copies are then requested from the libraries at
the University. Those identified as pertinent input to WRSIC are
abstracted and indexed by two retired professionals. A typist-editor
corrects, checks index terms, types the abstracts and mails them to WRSIC.
The Center is obligated to provide WRSIC with 40 abstracts/month which is
35-40% of what is collected.
The abstracts which are prepared for WRSIC and bibliographic citations
of the other articles identified are used to make up "Eutrophication
Abstracts" which are distributed to about 2,100 persons.
In addition to the document processing, the Eutrophication Program pub-
lishes technical reviews, such as their recent ones entitled "Eutrophica-
tion" and "Algicides", about twice a year. These are generally prepared
by technical specialists at the University.
Establishment of AMIC/WRSIC Interface. The interaction between AMIC and
WRSIC began with a visit to WRSIC by the Battelle staff and the AQCL
Project Officer for a briefing on the WRSIC operation. Subsequently, work
was begun to provide input, in the WRSIC format, to the WRSIC information
system.
The WRSIC instructions for abstracting and indexing which are reproduced
in Appendix F were thoroughly reviewed before preparation of abstracts
was begun by the Battelle staff. While these instructions are concise
and complete, the interpretation of the instructions does require famil-
iarity with the WRSIC system. Consequently, as abstracting and indexing
42
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TABLE 2. WRSIC CENTERS OF COMPETENCE AND THEIR SUBJECT
COVERAGE(Reference 7» 9)
• Ground and surface water hydrology at the Water Resources Division of
the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. DeDartmerit of the Interior.
• Metropolitan water resources management at the Center for Urban Studies
of the University of Chicago,
• Eastern United States water law at the College of Law of the University
of Florida.
• Policy models of water resources systems at the Department of Water
Resources Engineering of Cornell University.
• Water resources economics at the Water Resources Research Institute of
Rutgers University.
• Design and construction of hydraulic structures; weather modification; and
evaporation control at the Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, Colorado.
• Eutrophication at the Water Resources Center of the University of Wis-
consin, jointly sponsored by the EPA, Soap and Detergent Association,
and the Agricultural Research Service.
• Water resources of arid lands at the Office of Arid Lands Studies of the
University of Arizona.
• Water well construction technology at the National Water Well Association.
Supported by the Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with WRSIC.
• Thermal pollution at the Department of Sanitary and Water Resources
Engineering of Vanderbilt University.
• Textile wastes pollution at the School of Textiles of North Carolina State
University.
• Water quality requirements for freshwater and marine organisms at the
College of Fisheries of the University of Washington.
• Wastewater treatment and management at the Center for Research in Water
Resources of the University of Texas.
• Agricultural livestock wastes at the Department of Agricultural Engineering
of Iowa State University.
• Methods for Chemical and Biological Identification and Measure-
ment of Pollutants, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory at
Cincinnati, Ohio.
43
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progressed, procedural questions which were not covered by the instructions
were resolved by telephone discussions with the WRSIC staff. In addition,
edited copies of abstracts submitted by Battelle were returned by WRSIC to
Battelle for review. The provision of these edited abstracts in the early
phase of the work largely eliminated further format problems.
The relationship with WRSIC was maintained throughout the operations
phase of the program and proved beneficial for resolving additional
problems.
After the development of a thorough understanding of WRSIC input proce-
dures, all official transmittals of abstracts to WRSIC were channelled
through AQCL, since it is officially the center of competence In analyti-
cal methodology. This step provided further quality control of the input,
although somewhat slowing the procedure.
WRSIC Provision of Abstracts Before Publication In "Selected Water Resources
Abstracts""! An expressed Interest by the Project Officer 1n a program at
the University of Washington entitled "Water Quality Requirements for
Marine and Fresh Water Aquatic Organisms" provided further opportunity to
interact with WRSIC. After discussions with the manager of WRSIC, arrange-
ments were made by Battelle for WRSIC to provide copies of the input from
the University of Washington program before publication in WRSIC's Selected
Water Resources Abstracts. These copies were forwarded to the Project
Officer, thereby providing him with the material 2-3 months in advance.
WRSIC Interactive Computer System. During 1970, the WRSIC information
base was loaded, on a trial basis, on Gipsy (Generalized Information Pro-
cessing System) at the University of Oklahoma for remote querying by EPA
personnel throughout the U. S. The staff of the computation center at
Battelle began to investigate the possibility of direct interaction
between WRSIC's interactive system and Battelle's computer system. However,
the ending of WRSIC's trial period and the reorganization of the Department
of Interior and organization of the Environmental Protection Agency, which
left WRSIC's and EPA's relationships uncertain, precluded any detailed
studies along these lines. If AQCL retains its position as a WRSIC center
of competence, the feasibility of a directly interactive system should
be Investigated.
WRSIC Computer System Interaction With an Analytical Methodology
Information Center^The abstracted and Indexed material that Is provided
to WRSIC by Its centers of competence is keypunched and input into an
IBM 360-65 computer. This computer may be used to make batch searches and
1s used on a regular basis to provide the camera-ready copies of the Index
and to drive a text composer which prints abstracts for the Selected
Water Resources Abstracts. The machining of this Input is a very expen-
sive and time consuming phase of putting the Information on the computer.
Since the abstracts prepared on an operational AMIC would also be machined
44
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for Input into a computer system (see section entitled Potential of
Providing Machine-Readable Input to Other Information Centers), thorough
consideration should be given to the possibility of providing this
machine-readable input directly to WRSIC rather than providing typed
abstracts.
WRSIC. Indexing Versus Indexing for AQCL
One difficulty that occurred during the abstracting effort was that the
Analytical Methodology Information Center was "serving two masters"
regarding indexing. Because of the broad scope of interest at WRSIC, the
need is for broader, more general, index terms, possibly limited to 10-15
terms on the average. On the other hand, the technical needs of the AQCL
staff specify that Indexing be very deep or detailed, especially regard-
ing biological and microbiological species names. The need for this
detail increased the number of index terms to an average of about 32
terms/per abstract (in some cases to as high as 200 for a given document).
To satisfy the requirements of both groups, the reports were first indexed
in detail. Additional terms of a general nature were then added to cover
many of the specific terms. For example, a document indexed for WRSIC
might contain the following terms:
Algae, Ohio, Euglena, Cuyahoga River (Ohio), Chlorophyta,
Chrysophyta, Cyanophyta, Rhodophyta.
The same document indexed for AQCL purposes, however, would contain these
terms:
Algae, Ohio, Euglena, Cuyahoga River (Ohio), Cladophora
glomerate, Aphanochaete nepens, Rhizoclonlum hlerogly-""
1cum,"Tug1ena gracllis, Vaucheria sessitT?, Tribonema
mbycinum, Osciflatorla nigra, OscTinatorla hlmosa
Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Cyanophyta, RhodophyHT
Since indexing for AQCL in most cases included the terms for WRSIC plus
additional terms, indexing was done to meet AQCL requirements. It was
then possible for WRSIC editors to strike out any detailed terms that
they deemed inappropriate for their system.
Input of Abstracts to WRSIC
As stated earlier, one of the functions of the Analytical Methodology
Information Center, as specified In the contract, was to help fulfill
AQCL's role as a center of competence by providing abstracts with index
terms to WRSIC. The various types of Input provided are described 1n
the following paragraphs.
45
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AQCL Reports and Technical Papers as Inputs to WRSIC. During the course
or the pilot study, a special effort was made to assure that all AQCL
published reports and technical papers (or as many as possible) were
represented In WRSIC. To this end, during the early operation phase,
WRSIC was requested to survey its data base for all publications by the
staff of AQCL. Only 2 of 13 AQCL reports were Identified as being in
WRSIC. In addition, only 3 of 26 papers and journal articles authored
by AQCL staff members appeared in WRSIC. Therefore, a special effort was
undertaken to process all known AQCL publications. Because of time limi-
tations, five journal articles authored by the AQCL staff were not submit-
ted to WRSIC. One AQCL report was not submitted because it described a
provisional method and hence was not approved for public announcement.
The responsibility for inputting AQCL reports into WRSIC should be a
routine assignment for an established Analytical Methodology Information
Center. Two copies of each AQCL report should be automatically distri-
buted to the center; one for retention by the center and one for forward-
Ing with the abstract to WRSIC. In addition, the inclusion Into WRSIC
of other EPA reports on analytical methodology could be assured by arrang-
ing with the Individual laboratories to distribute their reports directly
to the information center. This arrangement would serve two functions:
(1) it would assure that the reports were publicly announced (in the
Selected Water Resources Abstracts), and (2) it would be a means whereby
the information center would have rapid access to EPA reports. Such an
arrangement could be initiated by announcement 1n the AQCL Newsletter
which is published quarterly and distributed to about 5,000 persons, both
within and without EPA.
Abstracts Provided WRSIC During the Pilot Study. The first abstracts
prepared by the AM1C staff were mailed to WRSIC during September 1970.
Subsequent abstracts, which were prepared first for the "Reviews" and
then typed for WRSIC, were mailed to AQCL for review and forwarding to
WRSIC by the Project Officer. During the operational phase of the program,
115 Indexed and abstracted documents along with hard copies were provided
for WRSIC. Typical examples are shown in Figures lOa and lOb. As shown
1n Table 3, the WRSIC input consisted of journal literature, one
Government research report and AQCL reports. One fact which should be
emphasized is that the number of abstracts provided WRSIC does not
represent the total number of documents abstracted during the pilot study.
The AQCL scope statement, as written for this report, demonstrates that
certain technical subjects of Interest to the AQCL staff would not be
considered to fall within WRSIC's areas of interest. A specific example
of such a subject would be specifications for operational amplifiers. For
the WRSIC point of view, this subject in itself is not related to
analytical methods related to the aquatic environment. However, from the
AQCL point of view a specific operational amplifier may, because of Its
capabilities, be the ideal component for a remote monitoring station.
Because of this divergence In interests, not all documents accessioned by
AMIC during the pilot study were considered to be suitable Input to WRSIC.
Only those which would be considered methodology from the WRSIC viewpoint
were submitted as input.
46
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AMIC-74
• |Xrrr**ifHi Nttmbrr
5
2 1 Siibftri Fn-iaii Gfiup
05A, 07C
SELECTED WATER RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
(JrftniiHitm
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, Cincinnati, Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory
Tilfe
FV/PCA METHOD STUDY 1: MINERAL AND PHYSICAL ANALYSES,
JQ IxmhoA-O
Winter, J. A.,
Midqett, M. R.
16] />ro"c'
2] Note
"Available
Destination
from: Analytical Quality Control Laboratory
1014 Broadway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
22 Cililion
.lime IQfiQ 77 nn Q fin ? tah. 7 ref
23 I D"C"P«"* (Sitned Fit si)
*Reliabi11ty, *Test procedures, *Water analysis, *Chemical analysis, Hydrogen ion
concentration, Electrical conductance, Dissolved solids, Hardness (water),'Sodium,
Potassium, Acidity, Alkalinity, Chlorides, Sulfates, Laboratory tests, Mathematical
studies, Statistical methods,
Idtnliliers (Starred Fin!)
*FWQA methods.
Aktlttcl
To validate the analytical methods employed by FVIPCA, synthetic
water samples were prepared in three ranges of concentration for
determination of pH, specific conductance, total dissolved solids,
and sulfate. The analyses were conducted by 51 analysts from 20
laboratories in FHPCA and five non-FWPCA laboratories. The results
of the analyses were treated statistically to determine the accuracy
and adequacy of the method employed. Detailed results of the analyses
and of the statistical treatments are given in tables and graphs.
(Little—Battelle)
AbUMCto
ffobert L. Little
Inxtitutioi
"AVial'.y'Eical Quality Control Laboratory. HQO, Cincinnati
TO- »«TtR HtlOURCC, ICICNTIFIC INFOKM41
Ut BIPARTMCNT OF TMl IMTIHIOPI
• AlHINSTON. O C 10*40
FIGURE lOa. FIRST SAMPLE ABSTRACT PREPARED ON WRSIC FORM
47
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AMIC-1018
• | Acer s»fmi Numbrr
n Sub/ti-r F«r/d 4. Grciuji
05A, 05B
SELECTED WATER RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
C OrtmiiHion
6 |™«
Federal Water Quality Administration, Cincinnati, Analytical Quality Control
Laboratory
CHARACTERIZATION OF OIL SLICKS ON SURFACE MATERS,
JQ IXi/lfco/f.J
Kawahara, Fred K. ,
Ballinger, Dwight G.
IX Project Designation
2] Note
Available from: Analytical Quality Control
1014 Broadway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Laboratory
Product R & D, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 9, No. U, p 553-5^0,
December 1970. 5 fig, 5 tab, U ref.
23 I Descriptor* (Stirred FirH)
*0il water interfaces, *Aspnalt, Analytical techniques, Industrial wastes, Gas
chromatography, Oil separation techniques,
J3]
Identifier* (Starred Flrti)
*Infrared absorbance, *Fuel oils, *0il spills, Lubricating oil, Characterization,
Abtttmct
Numerous unidentified oil samples collected from the surface waters
of the United States were analyzed by the method of ratios of infrared absorbance,
using six wavenumbers. Two key ratios, 810 cm-1/1375 cm , and 810 cm'1/720
cm-1, were useful for the initial classification of the oil spill samples of
unknown and uncharacterized origin, while confirmation requires the use of the
other ratios. For rapid field evaluation, the graphic method is useful for
classifying petroleum pollutants in water. Ratio values from unidentified
petroleum pollutants are compared with those from industrial asphalts and resi-
dual fuel oils. Classical analyses - API gravity, solubility, boiling points,
etc. - supplement the findings of the RIA method. Asphalts, No. 6 fuel oils
No. 5 fuel oils, and a lubricating oil were characterized. (McCann-Battelle)
AbilMCIOt
Gregory L. McCann
I """Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, WQO, Cincinnati
*CNO TO MATE* IIESOUHCCS iC'KNTIFIC INFORMATION CtNTCA
Ul O««*HTM(MT Or THt IHTIHIOH
MAIHINftTON. O C 10J«0
• t*»: IM*-*tt-)M
FIGURE lOh. SECOND SAMPLE ABSTRACT PREPARED ON URSIC FORM
48
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TABLE 3. INPUTS TO WRSIC BY TYPE OF PUBLICATION
Type of Document Number Submitted
Journal Articles 85
Government Research Reports 1
AQCL Reports 10
AQCL Authored Journal Articles and Papers 18
Books 0
Battelle Reports 1
Total 115
49
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On the other hand, the items provided WRSIC do not represent all those
potentially of interest. As stated previously, economic constraints al-
most entirely precluded providing abstracts of reports and books to WRSIC,
In addition, time restraints prevented submission of a number of the
abstracts prepared during the latter portion of the operational phase of
the study. Therefore, to give a better picture of the potential of an
Analytical Methodology Information Center, Table 4 shows the number of
additional items prepared which could have been provided as WRSIC input
had there been no economic or time constraints present.
TABLE 4. ABSTRACTS OF INTEREST TO WRSIC BUT NOT SUBMITTED BECAUSE OF
ECONOMIC AND TIME CONSTRAINTS
Type of Document Number Prepared
Journal Articles 101
Government Research Reports 31
AQCL Authored Journal Articles 5
Books 2
Others 2
Total 141
WRSIC Requirements for Hard Copy. One WRSIC requirement, which is some-
times either difficult or costly to fulfill, is that one hard copy of each
item abstracted be transmitted to WRSIC with its abstract form. This can
involve considerable expense for a large input. Photocopies of journal
articles, utilizing modern photo-reduction methods, cost between 4-1/2 to
25 cents per page (6 cents on the pilot study), depending upon methods and
circumstances. Copies of Government research reports procured through the
National Technical Information Service are $3.00 each for those less than
300 pages and $6.00 for those larger than 300 pages or more than two years
old. Books cost considerably more. Hence the budget to fulfill this
requirement may not be inconsequential. On the present project, providing
abstracts of Government reports to WRSIC was largely precluded because of
budget constraints.
50
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Interface With the Robert A Taft Water Research Center
Interactions with the Taft Research Center have largely been limited to
requests for copies of Its reports. In every Instance, these requests
have been honored very cooperatively. In addition, one of the QRI's pro-
vided during the study was requested by a member of the technical staff
at the Taft Research Center.
It is expected that as work progresses, a logical step will be to provide
the same services to the Taft Research Center as are provided for AQCL
for requests within the scope of the Analytical Methodology Information
Center. It is further conceivable that a compatible remote terminal mey
reside at that facility so that direct access to the Battelle holdings
is available.
As discussed in the section on Loan Services, the library at the Taft
Research Center may in the future provide valuable assistance in
responding to requests for loan documents, especially from persons out-
side of AQCL. Further investigation should be made into this possibility.
Interface .With the Science Information Exchange (SIE)
The mission of the Science Information Exchange is "To facilitate effec-
tive planning and management; of scientific research activities supported
by U. S. agencies and institutions by promoting the exchange among par-
ticipating agencies of information on all types of current basic and
applied research . This will include the accumulation, organization,
analysis, and maintainence of a comprehensive inventory of current research
project summaries, and the making of this information available to the
scientific community in a form such that maximum use can be made of this
data by the scientist and research administrator."(Reference 10)
In fulfillment of this mission, over 1,000 research organizations, includ-
ing Federal agencies, private foundations, universities, state and city
governments, industry, and foreign sources cooperate with SIE by pro-
viding notifications of on-going research. (It is assumed that EPA
notifies SIE of its new research projects.) Contributions from all sources
enable SIE to register over 100,000 records annually. Each record is
an unpublished summary of who is planning what research, where, and how
supported. Since the cumulative record is available to a requester on a
fee basis, research which has not been published can be identified and
possibly eliminate duplication of effort.
During the pilot study, no occasions arose wherein it was necessary to
employ the services of SIE. However, the information center could act as
an effective agent for AQCL in soliciting information on current research
projects from SIE. For example, identification of related on-going
research as well as searching the literature is an important function in
51
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evaluating proposed research. Further, with the rapid expansion of
research activities related to water quality, state-of-the-art analysis
requires communications with fellow researchers.(Reference 11) In these
instances, as shown in Figure 11,when a new research project is to be
initiated at AQCL, a preliminary effort might consist of notifying AMIC
of the interest, requesting not only published applicable information
but on-going research as well. The information center, in turn, would
request a response by SIE. Either the AQCL investigator or AMIC, if
desired, could then contact the identified researchers for further infor-
mation on the current status of their work and results, if any, which
they may have obtained.
AMIC
NFORMATION BASE
(PUBLISHED
REPORTS AND
LITERATURE)
SIE
(IDENTIFICATION OF
CURRENT RESEARCH
PROJECTS)
1 - AQCL REQUESTS INFORMATION ON
TECHNICAL SUBJECT
2, 3- AMIC QUERIES I NFORMATION BASE
AND SCIENCE INFORMATION EXCHANGE
4 - AMIC PACKAGES AND FORWARDS PRODUCT
TO AQCL
FIGURE 11. POSSIBLE MODE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN AMIC AND SIE
52
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SECTION VIII
INFORMATION SERVICES OF THE ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER
An information system has no value unless it provides useful services to
its user audience. One of the services the information center should
provide for AQCL is the input of abstracted and indexed information to
the Water Resources Scientific Information Center. However, other infor-
mation needs within the EPA community indicate that additional services
are desirable. Although services under the present contract were pro-
vided primarily for AQCL and the Division of Water Quality Research because
of fiscal constraints, it can be stated almost categorically that similar
needs exist in other laboratories within EPA.
Information Needs
Experience gained in the operation of other centers at Battelle such as the
Arms Control Technical Information and Analysis Center, Defense Metals
Information Center, and Radiation Effects Information Center, and during
operation of the model information center showed that there are generally
needs for:
Assistance in monitoring the current literature (both
journals and reports).
Comprehensive reviews of current and archival literature
on specific subjects.
Technical assistance in conjunction with literature
surveys.
Information on activities in other laboratories: in
this instance EPA, state, municipal, or Federal.
Rapid access to archival information.
In an attempt to provide responses to these needs, several services were
provided to AQCL and the Division of Water Quality Research. These
services were: Quick Response Inquiries (QRI's), a current awareness
bulletin,report loan service, an interactive computer system, and a
limited translation service. Two services which were not included in the
operation of the model center but which are potentially valuable are:
Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), and technical analysis tasks.
These are discussed in more detail later in this section of the report.
53
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Quick Response Inquiries
The phrase, "Quick Response Inquiries (QRI's)", is Battelle nomenclature
for a service which provides rapid response to urgent requests on wide-
ranging subjects. By definition, a QRI is also relatively low cost,
depending upon the limits established.
The QRI service can be employed to satisfy many information requirements.
It can be used to make comprehensive reviews of current and past litera-
ture, provide limited technical assistance, make surveys of current
literature outside of the immediate scope of activity, and provide a
number of other responses which may be desirable. The results of trials
with this service during the pilot program indicate that QRI's provide
a much needed service. In addition to information scientists assigned
to the center, engineers and scientists in a variety of disciplines as
well as expert consultants must be available for technical advice and
assistance 1n answering these QRI's. The technical expertise that can
thus be brought to bear on analyzing these problems greatly enhances the
utility of the information base.
The usefulness and popularity of this type of service was amply demon-
strated during the pilot phase of center operation. Original plans were
to establish a limited quick response capability beginning approximately
four months after the initiation of the pilot phase. Sufficient funds
were set aside for approximately six responses at a projected cost of
$500 each. However, urgent requests were received and fulfilled during
the first month of operation. By the end of the fourth month, almost all
of the projected funds had been used in fulfilling ten separate requests
and curtailment of this service was necessary.
A total of 13 quick responses were prepared during the pilot study.
Table 5 lists the titles, response times, requester, and responsible
staff member for all quick responses. It should be noted that in each
case the request called for considerably more than normal reference
service. Copies of individual responses are available for review, either
through the Project Officer or through the Principal Investigator.
On the present program, the upper limit on the cost of QRI's was arbi-
trarily set at approximately $500, which would provide up to two man days
of professional effort. The total allocation for QRI's was specified as
$3,000. However, the total expenditure amounted to $3,720. The average
cost per response was about $286. This points up another advantage of
the QRI service: the total cost is variable depending upon the amount
of effort required. Of the 13 QRI's provided, some cost less than the
stipulated $500 maximum whereas others may have slightly exceeded the
maximum, although efforts were made to stay close to the stipulated amount.
It should be noted that not all the responses could be termed "quick
responses". In some cases, there was no need for quick turnaround.
However, in several cases, the response times were indeed quick, ranging
from three hours to four days for urgent requests.
54
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TABLE 5. SUMMARY OF QRI'S DURING PILOT OPERATION
en
en
QRI
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
12A
TITLE
Effect of Copper on Algae and
Peri phy ton
A Search of the Literature for Papers
Published by Dr. David Klein of
Hope College
Availability of Translations of Two
German Papers on Analysis of
Phosphates in Water
Selected References on the Biological
Metabolism of Mercury
Possibility of Methyl ation of Lead
and Biological Magnification
Status of USDA Report on Disposal of
Pesticides
Brief Survey of Articles on Water
Reuse
Extraction of Organophosphorus
Pesticides in Water
Pollution Potential of Fluorine
Effluents From Fertilizer Plants
Environmental Impact of Detergent
Ingredients
Request for Reference on Optical
Brighteners
Cadmium Toxicity
Analytical Methods for Cadmium
REQUESTED BY
Weber
(AQCL)
Ballinger
(AQCL)
Ballinger
(AQCL)
Swaby
(Hdqtrs.)
Forziati
(Hdqtrs.)
Dean
(Taft Center)
Forziati
(Hdqtrs.)
Lichtenberg
/ • fnfn \
(AQCL)
Shackelford
(Hdqtrs.)
Forziati
(Hdqtrs.)
Forziati
(Hdqtrs.)
Pickering
(Newtown Fish
Toxicology Lab)
Kopp
{AQCL)
DATE REQUESTED
7/6/70
7/14/70
7/14/70
8/3/70
8/13/70
9/3/70
9/3/70
9/23/70
9/29/70
10/31/70
10/5/70
12/11/70
(Not Requested)
=======
ANSWERED BY
Little
Little
Little
Lutz/Kohn
Lutz
Little/Darby
Little
Little
Little/Darby
Lutz
Little
Little/McCann
Little
DATE ANSWERED
8/5/70
7/17/70
7/29/70
8/7/70
8/13/70
Telephone Response
9/9/70
9/9/70
10/21/70
9/30/70
Telephone Response
10/15/70
11/5/70
Telephone Response
1/6/71
1/14/71
-------
The results of the trials with this service indicate that QRI's provide
a much needed contribution to EPA's information demands and should be
incorporated into a full-scale operation on a rather extensive basis.
Current Awareness
The current awareness service was incorporated into the present program
as a means of reducing and hopefully eliminating the amount of time that
individual AQCL staff members spend in covering the literature for them-
selves. If individual coverage of the literature could be eliminated,
the scientists' time v/ould be free for more important endeavors, and
individual record keeping could be largely eliminated.
Since most of the AQCL staff have in the past been able to cover only a
selected portion of the literature pertinent to their interests, their
coverage was often incomplete. By assigning this function to an infor-
mation center, the literature available to the individual staff member
can be greatly expanded and because the centralized search will be more
efficidnt, will result in cost savings. In anticipation of these
potential benefits, the contract to operate a model information center
included a provision for three current awareness bulletins to be prepared
primarily for the AQCL staff. In preparing the bulletin, which was
entitled "Reviews of Current Literature on Analytical Methodology", four
important criteria for success were carefully considered: (1) the
literature covered must be timely, (2) the amount of coverage must be
extensive, (3) the literature cited must fall within the areas of interest
to the AQCL staff, and (4) the bulletin itself must not be so imposing as
to prevent use. Each issue of the "Reviews of Current Literature on
Analytical Methodology" sent to the AQCL staff was accompanied by a form
on which each staff member could evaluate the pertinence of each item in
his category of interest and make suggestions for improving the publication.
Procedures for Preparing the Current Awareness Bulletin
Based upon the first interviews at AQCL, it was evident that individual
staff members at AQCL desired detailed, informative abstracts in the cur-
rent awareness bulletin, in addition to the bibliographic information.
Therefore, the first step after logging each item was abstract preparation
and indexing. This required trained information scientists who were
familiar with the various aspects of water quality and analytical method-
ology. The earlier efforts to assure adequate scoping of AQCL's interests
(see pages 19 to 23) were of utmost value in assuring that the prepared
abstracts indeed represented AQCL interests. Subsequent evaluation and
comments by AQCL staff verified that anything else would not have been
acceptable. The prepared abstracts were individually typed according
to the WRSIC format on a paper-tape typewriter so that punched paper tapes
could be used for final typing. The first drafts of the abstracts and
56
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citations were then edited, categorized (as described below), and final
typed. Final typing consisted of running the prepared paper tapes 1n the
proper sequence and making editing corrections as necessary. At the same
time, a corrected tape was prepared from the first one and subsequently
used as input to the computerized information system as described
beginning with page 34.
The categories for dividing the abstracts in the "Reviews" were designed
to coincide with the activities at AQCL. Within these major categories,
several subcategories were defined according to more specific interests
within the Groups at AQCL. Critiques of the draft copy of the first
issue by several AQCL staff members provided valuable assistance in
defining these subcategories and also in clarifying the scope of each
technical Activity. It was felt that the subcategorization would reduce
the amount of material that each person had to review.
Description of the "Reviews"
The first issue of the "Reviews" was mailed on December 21, 1970, con-
tained 59 abstracts of technical reports and articles, and was 25 pages
long. The second issue was mailed on January 28, 1971, contained 73
abstracts and was 41 pages long. The third issue was mailed on March 5,
1971, contained 162 abstracts, and was 53 pages long.
The increase in the size of the second issue over the first was due not
only to Inclusion of more items, but also to the increased size of
abstracts which were written 1n a more informative manner as requested by
the AQCL staff.
As can be seen from the samples of the "Reviews" reproduced as Figures 12a
and 12b, the third Issue was a quite radical departure from the second
Issue not only in size but also in format (the format for the first and
second issues was the same). At the request of the Director of AQCL and
the Project Officer, the abstracts were printed In a 3" x 5" format on
card stock so that individual staff members could clip and file the items
of interest. Since various staff members have in the past maintained their
own information indexes, this move enabled them to continue maintaining
their private files at almost no cost. In fact, assuming that sources of
information which were reviewed by the individuals were as well covered
by the information center, a significant expense at the Laboratory could
be eliminated by the provision of prepared abstracts since the time
required for several secretaries to type Individual references would be
obviated by the "Reviews". In addition, because of extensive coverage
during the pilot program, the availability of items to staff members was
perhaps in some cases greater than they could expect from their own
coverage. It should be mentioned, however, that because of the large
volume of material acquired on the pilot study, not all items could be
Included in the "Reviews"* Those judged to be most important and of long-
term interest were primary choices. Also, in some instances, items which
57
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@uiie*t
ANALYTICAL QUALITY
CONTROL LABORATORY
1014 BROADWAY
cue I mi I, OHIO 45202
PREPARED BY THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECTION, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES, FOR THE ANALYTICAL
QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY UNDER CONTRACT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO
DR. C. I. WEBER AT THE ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY.
No. 2
January, j.971
The abstracts contained in this bulletin are categorized by interest areas within
the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory. Where a given item may apply to more than one
interest area, it is listed in the most applicable area and noted in other areas by "see
also". No cross references are provided within major categories.
CATEGORIES
1. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL METHODS
[Scope: Wet chemical methods; Helium glow; Chromatography; Spectroscopy
(atomic absorption, flame emission, arc-spark, visible-UV-IR,
fluorescent, etc.); Radiochemistry; Automation of methods;
Probe use; Water quality standards, Effluent monitoring.]
a. Pesticides, PCB's
b. Water Quality
c. Trace Metals, NTA
d. Nutrients and Other Pollutants
2. BIOLOGICAL METHODS
[Scope;
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Plankton, periphyton; Benthos; Field and laboratory techniques;
Data interpretation; Water quality requirements.]
Sampling Methods and Equipment
Bioassay
Pollutant Effects
Thermal Pollution
Water Quality Requirements . .
3.
MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS
[Scope
Identification and enumeration of pollution indicators; Detection
of waterborne pathogens in fresh and marine waters, sediments, and
soils; Effluent monitoring; Survival of organisms, Sample preser-
vation; Membrane filtration; Biochemical tests; Automation of
methods; Fluorescent antibody techniques; Water quality standards;
Computerized data handling.]
Page
1
9
1C
13
19
20
21
25
25
28
FIGURE 12a. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS"
-------
CATEGORIES (Continued)
Page
4. METHODS AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 35
[Scope: Applied statistics; Collaborative testing; Interlaboratory
quality control; Evaluation of analytical methods and per-
formance; Statistical treatment of analytical data; Computer
programs for statistical analyses; Quality control in the
laboratory; Experimental design.]
5. INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT 37
[Scope: Intake systems (methods of sampling, connecting lines, wells,
motors, pumps, mode of operation); Sensors (electro-chemical,
electro-biological, therraodynamic, mechanical, optical,
nuclear); Analyzers (analog and digital amplifiers, output
displays); Recording systems (telemetry, data logging, digital
data processors).]
6. PETROLEUM IDENTIFICATION 39
[Scope: Petroleum processes (reforming, hydroforming, platforming,
catalyst); Petroleum additives; Reduced crudes; Sulfur iso-
topes; Trace organics; Boiling range determination; Asphatenes
and carboids; Weathering; Organometallics; Elemental analysis;
Paraffinic distribution; Petroleum wastes.]
Most items listed are either available from the source journal or where noted
with an OTIS Report Number, from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Most
others are available by writing the agency conducting the work.
FIGURE 12a. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" (Continued)
59
-------
1. PHYSICAL AIID CHEMICAL METHODS (Continued)
AMTC-7U6 ' "A KINETIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF FLUORIDE IN THE PARTS-
PER-BILLIQN RANGE", Klockow. D., Ludwig, H., Giraudo, M. A.,
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. &2, No. lU, December 1970, pp 1682-1686.
Small quantities of fluoride In aqueous solutions
can .be.determined by an Indirect kinetic method in
which zirconium, acting as a catalyst in the reaction
between perborate and iodide, is Inhibited by fluoride.
In this method, different reaction rates, corresponding
to the amounts of fluoride present, are monitored as
follovss perborate is present in excess and iodide is
added to the mixture by an automatic titrator to the
same extent as the reaction proceeds. The rate of
addition of the iodide standard solution is a measure
for the reaction rate and, consequently, for the con-
centration of the catalyst (zirconium) or the Inhibit-
ing agent (fluoride), respectively. The addition of
iodide is controlled by measuring the potential of the
Iodide/iodine couple. The method has a working range
of 19 ng to 190 ng F~ per 50 ml or 0.38 to 3.8 p.p.b.
The influence of 20 cations and anions on the deter-
mination was examined. Several of these caused
serious interference, which suggests that they could
be determined by the prescribed method.
AMIC-7U7 "PYROLYSIS GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF ARYLSULFONIC ACIDS
AND SALTS", Siggia, S., Whitlock, L. R., Analytical Chemistry,
Vol. U2, No. Ik, December 1970, pp 1719-17257^
This paper describes the quantitative determina-
tion of arylsulfonic acids and their salts using
pyrolysis gas chromatography to measure either sul-
fur dioxide or the parent hydrocarbon. Sulfur
dioxide Is recovered quantitatively; the parent
hydrocarbon is recovered at the 50 percent level or
less. A linear response for both is obtained for a
range of sample weights from 0.2 to 1000 rag.
Because of the sensitivity of gas chromatography,
It is useful for direct analysis of aqueous solu-
tions down to the parts-per-nillion concentration
of sulfonate. The presence of sodium sulfonate
does not Interfere. By making sample solutions
basic, the interference from sulfuric acid in
sulfur dioxide measurement is eliminated. Addition
of carbohydrozide to the pyrolysis sample will signif-
icantly Increase hydrocarbon recovery; for example,
the recovery of benzene from benzenesulfonic acid
is increased to 98 percent. Best results were
obtained when the hydrozide was used alone without
added diluent.
FIGURE 12a. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" (Continued)
60
-------
0$ gttvieitt
ANALYTICAL QUALITY
CONTROL LABORATORY
1014 BROADWAY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202
PREPARED BY THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECTION, BATTEILE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES, FOR THE ANALYTICAL
QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY UNDER CONTRACT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO
PH. C. I. WEB;R AT THE ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY.
No' 3 February, 1971
The abstracts contained in this bulletin are categorized by interest areas within
the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory. Where a given item may apply to more than one
interest area, it is listed in the most applicable area and noted in other areas by "see
also". No cross references are provided within major categories.
CATEGORIES
Page
1. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL METHODS
[Scope: Wet chemical methods; Helium glow; Chrotnatography; Spectroscopy
(atomic absorption, flame emission, arc-spark, visible-UV-IR,
fluorescent, etc.); Radiochemistry; Automation of methods; Probe
use; Water quality standards, Effluent monitoring.]
a. Pesticides, PCB's 3
b. Water Quality 10
c. Trace Metals, NTA 14
d. Nutrients and Other Pollutants 18
2. BIOLOGICAL METHODS
[Scope: Plankton, periphyton; Benthos; Field and Laboratory techniques;
Data interpretation; Water quality requirements.]
a. Sampling Methods and Equipment 25
b. Bioassay ........ 28
c'. Pollutant Effects , 29
d. Thermal Pollution 32
e. Water Quality Requirements 34
3. MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS 38
[Scope: Identification and enumeration of pollution Indicators; Detection
of waterborne pathogens in fresh and marine waters, sediments, and
soils; Effluent monitoring; Survival of organisms, Sample preserva-
tion; Membrane filtration; Biochemical tests; Automation of methods;
Fluorescent antibody techniques; Water quality standards; Computerized
data handling.]
FIGURE 12b. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS"
61
-------
CATEGORIES (Continued)
Page
4. METHODS AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 46
[Scope: Applied statistics; Collaborative testing; Interlaboratory
quality control; Evaluation of analytical methods and per-
formance; Statistical treatment of analytical data; Computer
programs for statistical analyses; Quality control in the
laboratory; Experimental design.]
5. INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT 48
[Scope: Intake systems (methods of sampling, connecting lines, wells,
motors, pumps, mode of operation); Sensors (electro-chemical,
electro-biological, thermodynamic, mechanical, optical,
nuclear); Analyzers (analog and digital amplifiers, output
displays); Recording systems (telemetry, data logging, digital
data processors).!
6. PETROLEUM IDENTIFICATION 52
[Scope: Petroleum processes (reforming, hydroforming, platforming,
catalyst); Petroleum additives; Reduced crudes; Sulfur iso-
topes; Trace organics; Boiling range determination; Asphatenes
and carboids; Weathering; Organometallics; Elemental analysis;
Paraffinic distribution; Petroleum wastes.]
Most items listed are either available from the source journal or where noted
with an NTIS Report Number, from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Most
others are available by writing the agency conducting the work,
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Since the "Reviews of Current Literature on Analytical Methodology" have been
prepared on a contract to design and operate a prototype information center for the
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, the format of this issue has been changed in an
attempt to increase the utility of the abstracts. The present format is laid out in
3"x5" card form so that items of interest can be clipped and filed. The index terms fol-
lowing each abstract in some cases are only a partial listing because of space limitations,
but include the more important and general terms.
This third issue of the "Reviews" is the last which will be published under the
current contract between WQO and Battelle Memorial Institute. The cooperation of several
AQCL staff members in the initial preparation, and the comments of others via the evalua-
tion forms are sincerely appreciated. Any comments, criticisms, or suggestions may be
directed to:
Dr. Cornelius I. Weber
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
1014 Broadway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
FIGURE 12b. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" (Continued)
62
-------
1. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL METHODS
A«C-10lH
"SOURCE Of POlycHLORBlATED BIPHEtnO. COfTAMINA'nOK DI TOE WHOSE ENVmOSMEHT", Holden,
A.. V., Mature, Vol. 228, No. 5277, December 19, 1970, pp 1230-1221.
High concentrations of polychlorlnated bipbenyls have been detected In the Firth
of Clyde (Scotland). Samples of the water surface film and sub-surface vater were
taken at various points in the estuary, and also at S-nile intervals along the river
to the centre of Glasgow, to detect any local discharges containing PCBs. So PCS
residues could be found (limit of detection in vater, 1 part In 1011) and saaples of
effluents discharged fron trunk severs Into the estuary and In the Glasgow area also
showed no significant concentrations of PCBs. Concentrations In zooplanftton by
comparison were less than 0.03 p.p.m. and in clupeoid fish up to 2.6 p.p.m. (both
expressed or. a vet weight besis). Samples of crude sewage sludge from such sewage
plants in Glasgow and adjacent areas were analysed for PCBs. It seems possible that
the PCBs In the Clyde ecosysten result from routine dumping of crude sewage sludge
from treatment works in Glasgov end adjacent areas. If there Is an average of 2 p.p.a.
dumped at a rate of 0.5 million tons of sludge per year, about 1 ton of PC3 isoraers
per year would be discharged.
IKDQC TERMS: Industrial vastes. Sludge, Domestic wastes. Detergents, Chlorine,
Gas ehromatography, Dieldrln, Pesticide residues, Zooplankton, Herrings, Path
of pollutants, Polychlorlnated blphenyls, Gas-liquid chromatography, DEE,
Organochlorlne, Scotland.
AMC-1050
"A RAPE) METHOD FOR THE DETECTIOH AHD DBTSRMDiATICN OF CAPTAH", Vlswesruariah, K.,
Jayaram, M., Majumder, S. K., Analytlca CMnlea Aeta, Vol. 52, No. 3, December
1970, pp 559-561.
The reaction of Captan with monoethanolamlne in the presence cf Insecticides
such as Aldrin, DDT, BHC, Malathlon can be used for quantitative identification.
Captan when hydrolysed with monoethanolflaine for 1 mln in a boiling water bath,
turns Immediately blue, which gradually becomes yellov on further heating;
concentrations of Captan above 100 micrograms under Identical conditions first turn
pale-yellow and then orange red on prolonged heating. The chlorinated Insecticides
lik» BHC, DDT, Llndane, Aldrir., Dleldrin and Endrlr. did not produce the blue
color, hence the reaction can also be used to distinguish Captan frore the other
chlorinated Insecticides. Captan was determined In different formulations
consisting of starch and Captan, by means of a calitration curve, and it was
established that the precision of the method was + 2.5$. Captan In amounts above
1OO mlcrograms produced different colors dependine on the quantity, when
hydrolysed with nonoethanolamine for 10 rain; a yellow color was observed with
0.1-2.0 mg, an orange color vlth 2~b mg, a red color with **-5 mg and a blood-red
color with 5.0 mg. Accordingly, an approximate estimate of Captan concentration
cen be made in this range.
INDEX TERMS: Fungicides, Analytical techniques. Pollutant identification, Aldrin,
DDT, Dieldrln, Hydrolvsis, Captan, lindene, BHC, Malathlon.
AMIC-HA3
"PRCB1EKS IB WATER ANA1VSIS FOR PESTICIDE RESUMES", Bevenue, A., Kslley, T. V., ffirlln,
J. V., journal of^Cpromatography, Vol. JU, So. 1, January 6, 1971, pp 71-76.
When water samples are analyzed for pesticide residues by means of gas
chromatography, some samples will contain non-pestlclde chemicals that possess
analytical characteristics similar to some pesticides. False data also may be
acquired from extraneous sources In the analytical laboratory. This report reviews
some of these problems. Sources of contaminants that may Interfere with analysis In
the parts per billion range Include organic solvents, glassware, plastic ware,
cellulose extraction thlaibles, filter paper, and silica gels. Prior to their use,
heat treatnent of the glassware and silica gels Is recommended to eliminate
contaminants. Plastic ware and filter paper should not be included In the analytical
procedure.
I1IDEX TERMS: Gas chromatocraphy. Pesticide residues, Pollutant identification,
Keptachlor, Aldrin, DDT, Silica, Oels, Organic natter, Solvents, Plastics,
Cellulose, Thin-layer chronatOBraphy, DDE, HDD, Heptachlor epoxide. Glass,
Gemical Interference.
AMIC-1O56
"TOXIC CHEMICA1S—THE RISK TO FISH", Mawdesley-Thomas, L. E-, Hew jjclentist,
Vol. 1*9, Ho. 731*, January lU, 1971, PP 7t-75.
Tests recommended by both V. S. and British authorities for determining
the toxlclty to fish of pesticides are reviewed and their inadequacies discussed.
Suggestions are made for long-*»erm studies Uis.t would provide more yiatle
information. The approximate toxiclties of pesticides most conraonly used ili
Britain arc presented.
DIDEX TERMS: Toxielty, Pesticides, Fish, Aldrin, DDT, Dleldrin, Endrln, ?,lt-D,
Heptachlor, Phenolic pesticides, Sulfur, Aninotriazole, Dalapor., Water
pollution effects. Rainbow trout. Channel catfish, Sunflsh, Salmon, Goldfish,
Harlequin.
FIGURE 12b. SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS" (Continued)
-------
the researchers believed to be from sources not regularly reviewed by the
AQCL staff were selected as prime items for the "Reviews".
Another modification of the third issue of the "Reviews" was the addition
of selected index terms to each reference. Index terms themselves are an
accurate and easily reviewed summary of the contents of a particular
document. In addition, any person interested in building a personal
information system could employ the terms and abstracts as the basic ele-
ments of his system with essentially no further intellectual effort
required. In the event the AQCL staff has remote terminal access to the
information base, individual files may become less important to them.
Evaluation Forms
Evaluation forms were attached to each issue of the "Reviews" going to
the AQCL staff to aid the Battelle staff in adjudging their conception of
the interests at AQCL. As can be seen in Figures 13a, 13b, and 13c, the
first two forms were straight numerical listings of the abstract numbers;
the third form was a numeric listing that coincided with the categories
of the abstracts in the "Reviews". The important parts of the forms,
however, are the gradations of comments permitted the evaluator. By
checking one of the boxes for each of the items (in most cases only the
items in each person's area of specialty), he could indicate each item as
"high interest", "useful", "low interest", or "not of interest". In
addition, he could request a copy from the information center or state
that he considered the item to be of enough value that he would request
a copy elsewhere. The completed forms, when summarized, served two
purposes: (1) they indicated the levels of interest in certain technical
areas, and (2) they could be used to grade how accurately the Battelle
researchers understood the scope of AQCL activities.
As mentioned previously, the evaluation forms, as well as other activities,
were used as an aid in establishing the scope of the information center.
The scope description in turn was used for guidance in the acquisitions
portion of the pilot study.
All (30) of the professional staff at AQCLthad an opportunity to partici-
pate in the evaluations.
Grading the Pertinence of Items in the^Reviews"
Grading of each of the Items in the "Reviews" was based upon several assump-
tions. First, because of the highly specialized interests of many AQCL
staff members, 1t was assumed that an item that was of "high interest" to
one person was more valuable than an item which v/as rated as "useful" by
several others. For the same reason, 1t was assumed that any one Item
indicated as being "useful" to one person was of greater value than one
64
-------
REVIEWS OF CURRENT LITERATURE ON
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
SURVEY FORM
December, 1970
This page is designed to assist the Battelle staff in determining the
pertinency of the itmes listed in this review to your interests. Please take time
to evaluate those items which are listed in your category by checking the boxes
which most nearly represent your view. The evaluation codes are:
a. High interest
b. Useful
c. Low interest
d. Not of interest
e. I will request a copy locally
f. Please see that I get a loan copy.
Evaluation Evaluation
Item No. a b c d e f Item No. a b c d e f
13
115
116
126
154
204
218
219
248
406
432
438
440
445
446
447
467
479
481
489
508
523
524
527
528
529
532
535
536
540
4
1
3
3
1
3
2
1
1
2
2
1
4
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
1
5
4
4
1
6
6
2
2
3
1
1
1
2
4
2
3
1
1
2
3
3
1
1
1
1
3
2
1
2
5
4
2
2
2
3
3
2
6
2
2
1
4
2
4
1
2
3
5
2
3
6
5
3
2
1
3
3
2
4
3
1
5
3
1
6
8
5
7
4
7
4
4
2
1
7
6
4
4
4
3
5
6
4
9
6
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
3
2
1
1
2
541
561
566
567
570
579
581
585
586
589
590
594
597
598
599
600
602
604
607
608
612
614
620
635
639
641
642
680
681
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
4
3
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
2
4
6
4
2
3
3
2
8
2
2
1
4
5
1
1
1
4
1
1
2
6
3
2
2
6
4
4
2
4
1
5
3
3
3
6
4
7
1
3
2
3
2
2
5
4
2
2
2
3
6
1
4
5
5
5
5
4
8
6
4
6
5
3
4
4
9
8
4
6
5
5
6
2
5
8
5
5
1
4
5
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
3
1
8
2
2
3
FIGURE I3a. SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE "REVIEWS"
65
-------
January, 1971
REVIEWS OF CURRENT LITERATURE
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
SURVEY FORM
ON
This page is designed to assist the Battelle staff in determining the pertinency
of items listed in this review to your interests. Please take time to evaluate those items
which are listed in your category by checking the boxes which most nearly represent your view.
The evaluation codes are;
a. High interest
b. Useful
e. Low interest
d. Not of interest
e. I will request a copy locally
f. Please see that I get a loan copy.
Evaluation Evaluation Evaluation
Item No. a b c d e f Item No. a b c d e f Item No. a b c d e f_
122
128
405
522
632
633
638
646
650
653
654
655
656
657
661
684
685
686
692
693
694
696
697
698
699
701
703
1
1
5
1
1
2
1
1
1
4
7
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
3
2
2
3
1
3
1
2
&
1
4
5
1
2
2
1
1
2
6
4
8
3
3
5
2
4
4
2
2
1
3
1
2
2
3
3
1
3
1
1
3
1
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3
2
6
4
4
5
7
6
3
5
5
4
6
6
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5
4
4
5
5
6
5
5
4
6
6
3
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1
2
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1,
2
1
1
1
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3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
I
705
706
708
709
712
715
718
720
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
732
733
735
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
2
1
1
4
2
1
1
4
2
2
3
2
1
4
3
3
2
1
1
I
1
2
2
3
5
3
?
3
7
4
4
3
3
1
1
4
2
2
1
3
3
1
4
3
2
1
1
1
5
5
4
4
4
3
I
3
2
?
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4
3
4
3
4
1
2
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7
4
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10
10
7
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745
746
747
750
755
785
786
789
791
792
793
794
801
802
812
829
837
847
852
854
855
856
857
858
859
4
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PIGURE 13b.
SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE
"REVIEWS"
66
-------
February, 1971
REVIEWS OF CURRENT LITERATURE ON
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
SURVEY FORM
This page and the attached form are designed to assist the Battelle
staff in determining the pertinency of items listed in this review to your
interests. Please take time to evaluate those items which are listed in your
category by checking the boxes on the attached form which most nearly represent
your view. In addition, we would appreciate any comments or suggestions,
specifically regarding the 3"x5" card format.
Comments and Suggestions:
Signature
Please return this page and the completed form to:
Battelle Memorial Institute
Columbus Laboratories
Attn: AMIC/Robert Little
505 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201.
a. High interest d. Not of interest
b. Useful e. I will request a copy locally
c. Low interest f. Please see that I get a loan copy
FIGURE i3c. SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE
"REVIEWS"
67
-------
Evaluation Evaluation Evaluation
Cat Item No. a b c d e f Cat. Item No. a b c d e f Cat. Item No. a b c d e f
la 448
453
575
577
578
722
790
807
844
845
853
871
962
964
1029
1030
1041
1043
1050
1056
1100
Ib 458
583
601
616
806
861
891
978
982
1019
1020
Ic 568
821
823
824
834
848
902
922
963
967
970
1031
1054
1063
1096
Id 205
564
670
825
839
843
875
1
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1
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Id (Cont.) 877
899
908
910
952
956
959
968
996
1006
1040
1051
1052
1053
1064
1094
1097
2a 819
834
905
907
924
925
961
981
2b 449
866
2c 494
838
867
879
890
894
898
930
970
2d 795
870
886
1038
2e 822
836
865
892
920
921
969
1039
1059
1084
3 45D
652
663
731
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3 (Cont.) 734
736
748
895
913
914
923
926
931
971
972
973
974
975
1042
1044
1085
1086
1088
1089
1093
1119
4 869
939
951
1060
1071
1091
5 468
587
711
809
833
864
873
880
941
946
1034
1055
1080
1092
1102
6 603
805
816
872
896
927
929
1018
1066
1070
1101
1
3
3
1
1
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1
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1
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6
6
6
8
7
6
7
5
7
5
s
5
6
1
1
1
1
1
7
8
7
8
5
6
6
6
b
3
3
2
3
1
4
1
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4
4
4
b
4
b
6
6
7
/
2 11 13
1
1
2
4
3
3
2
1
3
2
J. |4
1 |3
1 |3
J- 1^
2 |2
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FIGURE 13c.
SUMMARIZED EVALUATION FORM FOR THE THIRD ISSUE OF THE
"REVIEWS" (Continued)
68
-------
which had a high frequency of "low Interest" Indicators. Any Item con-
sidered to be "high interest", "useful", or "low interest" by the
evaluators was considered pertinent to the overall AQCL scope regardless
of the number of times it may have been marked "not of interest" since
several evaluators marked all items outside their specific area of interest
as "not of interest".
Results of Pertinency Evaluations
The evaluation forms from the three issues of the "Reviews" were summar-
ized with the results as shown in Figures 13a, 13b, and 13c. Using the
method described in the preceding section, the percentages of items falling
In each classification were as shown in Table 6.
TABLE 6. PERCENTAGE OF ITEMS EVALUATED AS "HIGH INTEREST", "USEFUL",
"LOW INTEREST", AND "NOT PERTINENT" IN THE THREE ISSUES OF THE
"REVIEWS OF CURRENT LITERATURE ON ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY"
Issue % High % Low % Not % Items Rated
No. Interest % Useful Interest Pertinent "Useful" Or Higher
1
2
3
73
72
81
17
28
17
10
0
2
0
0
0
90
100
98
The results show a reduction in items considered "low interest" after the
ffrst issue of the "Reviews" was published. This reduction, no doubt,
Resulted from improvement in Battelle's understanding of the AQCL scope.
It is not expected that the "low interest" items will be completely
eliminated since they are potentially of value and should be included in
the Information base. The overall conclusion 1s that the items chosen
were well correlated with AQCL's interests.
Distribution of the "Reviews"
Because of the national interest in much of the information Included in
the "Reviews", copies were circulated to EPA Laboratories other than AQCL.
69
-------
The final distribution consisted of 29 copies to AQCL staff members and
93 to other EPA offices and laboratories. The final distribution list is
included in Appendix G.
Reactions to the "Reviews"
Obviously, the evaluations of the individual items on the evaluation forms
indicated a portion of the reactions to the "Reviews". In addition,
reactions were noted in personal contacts, comments on the evaluation
forms, and letters, both from AQCL and other EPA Laboratories. Some of
the reactions were with respect to the current awareness service in gen-
eral, whereas others were specific to each issue of the "Reviews". Some
representative reactions were as follows.
Favorable comments:
"This appears to be a service which could be of continuing
interest to our Program ..."
"The people in our region are enthusiastic about this publi-
cation and find it very useful."
"These abstracts will at least indicate whether we wish more
information and thus represent a savings in time."
"The abstracts included for microbiological methods ... are
'zeroing in' on our literature review needs."
"Very good service this time for me'."
"... will become more and more useful for our work."
"The 3" x 5" card format is very useful. There are many
I would like to keep in my file, however9 I hate to throw
the others away ... This particular time I found many
other interesting references in areas other than where I
normally look."
"I find the new 3x5 format equally helpful as compared
to the previous format. The classification of items [on
the evaluation forms] was in identical order to the
abstracts . Saves time and is very much appreciated."
"The 3x5 card format and index terms are efficient time
savers . We plan to duplicate the most pertinent cards for
croes-'filing purposes.r'
"'Review' appears to be very current and thorough - some
articles I just read in my journals earlier this month."
"Excellent abstracts and coverage."
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"Am particularly anxious to obtain copy of AMIC-848, 'Speci-
fic Ion Electrodes' ..."
"This listing is an improvement in the area of ion selec-
tive sensors and instrumentation..."
In addition, a number of respondents outside of AQCL requested that their
names be placed on the list for regular distribution of the "Reviews" in
the future.
Of course, the recipients of the "Reviews" made many helpful suggestions
and criticisms. These are summarized below:
"More references on entomology and ecology would be helpful."
"I suggest Battelle list all journals searched in each cate-
gory, so each man knows what was searched and can comment
on the depth of search and suggest additional journals."
"I strongly suggest that Arch. f. Hydrobiologie* Int. Pevue
ges . Hydrobiol.t and int. Verein Limnyl. be added to the
journals reviewed."
"Most references [in my category this time ] are from the
Bull, of Env. Cont. & Tax, and from Anal. Chem . - two
journals I routinely review on my own. My interest was
higher at first exposure."
"We need abstracts on life histories and taxonomy of in-
sects and other macroinvertebrates."
"Watch for anal, methods for mercury; especially GS methods
for organic forms and combustion techniques for solid-type
samples."
"Please furnish a list of journals searched in AMIC."
"A few of the analytical procedures such as in Deo. 1970
Analytical Chemistry would be appreciated."
"Page 18 suggests to 'see also' ... I couldn't find them."
"Would it be too much trouble to have the check list cor-
respond to the order of articles we reviewed?"
"There is still some confusion about the dividinj lines
between the various activities [at AQCL]."
"The response options ... [on the evaluation forms] should
be reevaluated..."
"Perhaps if the [3" x 5" ] cards were perforated this would
help."
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"In our lab, interest was high with PCB's for 6 months, then
NT A for 6 month's . Now we have switched to mercury com-
pounds . So for me, my current interest is not being
reflected by keywords in my category . Perhaps more fre-
quent updating of keywords is needed. Also, the sub-
groupings seem to be a handicap to our current integrated
research project's.,.."
"The 3" x 5" cards are fine for filing, but make the "Reviews"
overly bulky . I would prefer the format used in the pre-
vious review's ."
"The 3" x 5" card would be easier to read if the abstract
were shown as two aolumre ..."
"I would like to see the system t(3w x 5" card format) ]
applied to wide-coverage publications such as Biological
Abstracts and Microbiological Abstracts."
"Is it necessary for each subject area activity, e.g.
Microbiology, to receive all cards from other interest
areas?"
"I suggest reducing the coverage, i.e., specifics in the
abstracts."
It Is quite obvious that the overall reaction to the "Reviews" was over-
whelmingly favorable, especially to the third issue which was quite exten-
sive in coverage (162 abstracts) and printed in 3" x 5" format.
Because of the late receipt of many of the evaluation forms, it was not
possible to respond, either verbally or in the operations, to most of the
suggestions. Indeed, some of the suggestions would have to be clarified
before a proper response could be made. However, the comments and criti-
cisms will prove to be valuable as guidelines for establishing an opera-
tional program.
Loan Services
One reaction which inevitably results from publication of current aware-
ness bulletins, document listings, bibliographies, and other products of
Information centers is the question of availability of the technical
reports and articles. AQCL has rapid access to the EPA Library at the
Taft Water Research Center for many of the items which have been announced
to the staff by the Analytical Methodology Information Center. Still,
occasions have arisen in which 1t was expedient for the pilot information
center to provide loan services. The number of documents provided to the
AQCL staff during the operational portion of the pilot study totalled
360. Of these requests, 286 were provided as retention copies. Most of
these were requested via the evaluation forms which accompanied the
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current awareness bulletin. In addition to the requests received from
the AQCL staff, a request from an EPA regional laboratory for 25 documents
was received and honored.
The occurrence of these requests, both from within and without AQCL should
serve as an alert to the necessity of providing such a service. Investiga-
tions should be made Into the possibility of -arranging for the EPA
Library at the Taft Research Center to provide at least pant of this
service. These arrangements could easily be made by having the information
center verify that copies of-the items announced in the^current awareness
bulletin or other publications are available at the £Eft J^thrarv. Those
HOC available could be provided to the Library by the information center.
To ensure that requests would be directed to the proper facility,
availability notices could be included in publications issued out Df the
Information center.
Computer System
Since a thorough discussion of the computer system is included within
the section entitled INFORMATION SYSTEM, no details will be given here.
It will suffice to say that the use of an Interactive computer system
Provides immediate access to the material contained in the information
tank. When urgency demands, the total holdings can be searched for perti-
nent Information. As the system enlarges, this capability becomes
increasingly valuable since it provides access to more Information.
Access to the information bank may be direct by use of a remote terminal
°** Indirect in which case the requester relays his inquiry to a central
location where the computer is queried by another person (information
scientist).
*t 1$ impossible to say that one mode of access is better than the other
for every situation. However, there are certain cautions that should be
toted concerning direct access. First, those using a direct-access sys-
tem must be trained to operate the system properly so that his results
*l*e satisfactory. Success Is more likely if the system 1s queried by
Persons who are Intimately familiar with the system characteristics.
Therefore, providing direct access to the information base should be
Accompanied by an adequate training program to avoid negative reactions.
Activities at Other Laboratories
{ny organization as large as the Environmental Protection Agency must
*eep its elements Informed of the activities at other locations so that
Duplication of effort can be minimized and more logical approaches to
scientific Investigations can be provided.
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At AQCL, the scientific staff appears to be relatively well Informed of
the activities at other laboratories throughout EPA. The staff members
have identified and are communicating with counterpart staff members
engaged in research (Athens, Georgia) projects and special projects (the
regional laboratories). As long as personnel remains stable, such com-
munication will continue. However, shifting personnel and increasing
research efforts may tend to negate these informal channels of
communication. Therefore, establishment of more formal methods of
informational Interactions between the laboratories needs to be Investi-
gated 1n future operations of an Analytical Methodology Information
Center.
Translations
Coverage of the literature related to water analysis and conversations
with the AQCL technical staff Indicated that much valuable literature
is published in foreign countries, often in a foreign language. This
Information could be a great asset to the total store of information 1f
it were translated. Translations are expensive; however, there are two
particular types of assistance that can be provided by an information
center. First, an inexpensive search of Technical Translations can be
made to determine whether an item has already been translated. If
the translation has been done, the expense of getting copies is relatively
small. Second, the information center could provide translation of
foreign articles. However, indiscriminant translation is too expensive.
Any items to be translated must be carefully selected, with the decision
to do so approved by the Project Officer. When an article 1s selected
for translation there are various levels of effort that can be selected:
translation of captions and paragraph headings may be sufficient; a
summary of the article may suffice; or a complete translation may be
required. The point 1s that the information center should have the
capability to provide the level of translation to suit the needs of the
requester.
During the operation of the model information center, a limited transla-
tion service was provided. In one instance, a search was made to deter-
mine whether translations were available.
In another instance, a requester was uncertain whether a specific Item was
pertinent to his interests. In this case, a summary of the article was
provided which led him to decide against translation. Had he requested
a complete translation, that level of service was also available to him.
Selective Dissemination of Information
Currently, a number of the large information abstractors and Indexers,
such as Chemical Abstracts Service, Biological Abstracts, and Institute
for Scientific Information, are making their products available in the
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form of machine-searchable magnetic tapes. Since these tapes are too
expensive for most users to purchase for their use alone, groups of
intermediary services have been formed which purchase these tapes and
Provide custom searches such as selective dissemination of information
(SDI) to subscribers. The SDI service is attractive since it covers an
extremely broad sphere of information at relatively low cost to the sub-
scriber. Consequently, the user has access to a large store of informa-
tion at a fraction of the cost of coverage on an individual basis. This
type of service is especially valuable for covering information in fringe
or related areas of interest.
Because of the broad interests of the AQCL staff, it is desirable that
information in technical areas which impinge on their main interests be
covered. During the pilot study, there was high interest in having AMIC
explore the potential value of such a service to AQCL. This, however,
was not possible within the constraints of the pilot study. It appears
desirable to explore the potential value of such a service in conjunction
with an operational center. Six interest profiles would be specified
according to the interests of each of the Methods Activities at AQCL.
The products of the SDI service (which probably would be provided on a
fionthly basis) would be circulated to various staff members at AQCL who
would note items of high interest. These items would be checked by the
AMIC staff for duplication and if not present be put into the information
base.
Technical Analysis
Many times, agencies such as EPA have a need for state-of-the-art studies,
technical compilations, or other support activities in particular areas
°r subjects for which they may not have the technical capability or man-
power available. For example, as this project closed, there was an urgent
need at the Southeast Water Laboratory and AQCL for evaluation of mass
spectrometers for specific applications. The pilot center was able to
Provide the vehicle for accomplishing this task. Often the information
center can act in a coordinating role to identify qualified persons
(including consultants) and make arrangements for the studies to be
conducted.
Depending upon degree of interest, subject, time available, and other
factors, technical analysis is tailored to meet the requirements of the
requester. These studies include a thorough review of the technical
literature coupled with technical analysis of the subject. The product
°f the study is a technical report or compilation which may include
recommendations and conclusions when appropriate.
Technical analysis tasks can be an extremely valuable adjunct to the
information center activities since they are an intellectual extension
°f the information base and as such transform the information and data
into a more compact and useful form.
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SECTION IX
COST ANALYSIS FOR AN OPERATIONAL
ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER
The final effort In designing a full-scale analytical methodology informa-
tion center is the calculation of costs. Since cost data are proprietary
to Battelle, the detailed breakdown has been submitted to the Project
Officer in a separate communication. However, nonsensitive information is
included herein. The total costs required for a full-scale center result
from:
1. Materials and services purchases
2. Travel costs
3. Personnel salaries
4. Computer use
The staff required to operate the center on a full-time basis would
consist of:
Man-Years Function
0.2 Administrator
1.0 Project leader/information scientist
1.2 Information scientist
0.6 Research engineer
2.2 Clerk/typist
0.02 Washington liaison
0.1 Services support staff
In addition to the core staff, the facility housing the center should have
the flexibility to provide part-time help in many areas of expertise as
Squired. For example, while 0.6 man-years of research engineer time is
indicated in the above table, the part-time services of engineers and
scientists from several disciplines should be available for evaluative or
Analytical tasks. Likewise, a full-time administrator is not required.
Further, the center would not require a dedicated computer. Therefore, it
is assumed that computer services will be procured and not directly
operated by the center's staff.
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SECTION X
THE FUTURE POTENTIAL OF AN ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER
The necessity for developing a comprehensive information/data base for the
environmental sciences has been recognized/Reference 12} but the structure
of this base remains to be defined. Various activities and studies have
been directed toward a definition of a system that will best meet the needs
of the environmental sciences community. For example, the Water Resources
Scientific Information Center (WRSIC) is already established under the
Office of Water Resources Research, U. S. Department of the Interior; the
Water Quality Office of EPA Is developing a Technical Information and
Management Planning System (TIMPS); and the Environmental Health Service
Decently completed a study of its information resources (prior to organi-
zation of EPA) including means_of organizing them into an Environmental
Health Information Network .(Reference1 13J
Whether environmental information will be housed in a huge, monolithic
facility or in a network of highly specialized centers (See Appendix I)
remains for future decision making. In the meantime, the urgency of the
environmental problem is such that adequate Informational services must
be established now. The present project v/as a first step in establishing
and operating a system to meet the demands of one portion of the environ-
mental sciences community - that concerned with analytical methodology
related to the aquatic environment. The study not only reinforced previous
conclusions that information needs are great in this area, but also
demonstrated that these needs can be satisfied in a timely manner by the
establishment of a properly designed system such as was developed for AQCL.
Throughout the pilot development of the Analytical Methodology Information
Center, an overview of the developments in information systems within
the total environmental community has been maintained but not allowed to
interfere with meeting AQCL requirements. Since the processes and pro-
cedures developed for AMIC are compatible with developments within the
state of the art of information science, they will likewise be compati-
ble with those employed 1n any national system which may be developed.
Consequently, an Analytical Methodology Information Center is a potential
contributor to the national system.
AQCL as the center of competence in analytical methods related to water
Duality is ideally suited to guide selection and input of information and
data in establishing such methodology. By meeting the needs of AQCL
find its regional laboratories, AMIC would be in a position to function as
Part of a national system by providing vital services to that portion
of the environmental community concerned with water quality.
TO maximize the cost/benefit ratio of an operational AMIC, its potential
value as an adjunct to a national system should be thoroughly considered.
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SECTION XI
REFERENCES
1. Dennis, B.K., and Lemmon, A.M., Jr., "Summary Report to FWPCA/ORD
on Study of FWPCA Information Requirements," Battelle Memorial
Institute, Columbus Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio, October-December
1969.
2. "Organization and Functions," Notices from William D. Ruckelshaus,
Administrator, EPA, December 4, 1970, January 20, March 12, April
30, May 3, 1971.
3. "Interim Supervisory Relations for Office of Research and
Monitoring," Memorandum from the Assistant Administration for
Research and Monitoring, May 20, 1971, 12 pp.
4. "Analytical Quality Control Laboratory," Pamphlet, U. S. Department
of the Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration,
Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1968.
5. "National Analytical Methods Development Research Program," FWPCA
Memorandum from Stephan, D.G., Assistant Commissioner, Research and
Development, and Hirsch, A., Assistant Commissioner, Operations, To
Various Laboratory Directors. January 21, 1970, 3 pp.
6. "National Analytical Methods Development Research Program," FWPCA
Memorandum from Stephan, D.6., Assistant Commissioner, Research and
Development, and Jensen, E.T., Assistant Commissioner, Operations,
To Various Laboratory Directors, July 7, 1970, 3 pp.
7. Jensen. R.A., Manager, Water Resources Scientific Information Center,
Letter to Mr. Dwight G. Ballinger, Director, Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory, April 9, 1971.
8. Jensen, R.A., "The Water Resources Scientific Information Center,"
Report on Third Annual Water Resources Research Conference,
Sponsored by OWRR, Washington, D.C., January 30, 1968, pp 27-40.
9. "Centers of Competence and Their Subject Coverage," Selected Water
Resources Abstracts, Vol. 4, No. 8, April 15, 1971, inside back
cover.
0. "Science Information Exchange, a National Registry of Research in
Progress," Pamphlet, Science Information Exchange, Washington, D.C.,
February 1970, 7 pp.
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REFERENCES (Continued)
11. Darby. R.L., Veazie, W.H., "Writing a State-of-the-Art Report,"
Materials Research & Standardst Vol. 8, No. 5, May 1968, pp 28-32.
12. "Environmental Data Bank," Hearings Before the Subcommittee on
Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation of the Committee on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, Ninty-first Congress,
Washington, D.C., June 2, 3, 25, 25, 1970, U. S. Government Printing
Office, 1970.
13. Darby, R.L., Kohn, R.S., Carroll, I.E., Penniman, W.D., and Morrison,
D.L., "Technical Intelligence and Project Information System for the
Environmental Health Service. Volume II, EHS Information Network
Analysis," Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Laboratories,
Columbus, Ohio, Contract PHS-C10-69-005, Environmental Health Service,
Available from the National Technical. Information Service as PB 194
411. See also Volume V, "Directory of EHS Information Facilities
with Selected Supplementary Resources". Available from the National
Technical Information Service as PB 194 414.
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SECTION XII
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the staff of the
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory in conducting this study. Special
thanks are due Mr. Dwight Ballinger, Laboratory Director and Dr. Cornelius
Weber, Chief of the Biological Methods Activity and Project Officer, for
their guidance and concern for the success of the study.
Thanks are also extended to the Battelle staff, Messrs. John Mortland
and Gregory McCann, Information Scientists, and Mrs. Naomi Cranston,
Clerk Typist, who provided valuable assistance in operating the pilot
information center.
Robert L. Little
Ralph L. Darby
Bernard K. Dennis
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SECTION XIII
APPENDICES
Page
A. QUOTES TAKEN FROM THE "ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL
LABORATORY" PAMPHLET DATED NOVEMBER 1968 87
Methods Research 87
Methods Selection 87
Intralaboratory Quality Control 87
AQC Regional Coordinators 87
U. S. Geological Survey 88
Professional Liaison 88
B. COPIES OF MEMORANDA ON THE NATIONAL ANALYTICAL METHODS
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH PROGRAM 89
c» ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY WORK PLANS AS OF
JUNE, 1970 95
D» JOURNALS AND ABSTRACTS REVIEWED DURING THE PILOT STUDY 99
Journals 99
Abstract Sources 103
*• ADDITIONAL JOURNALS AND ABSTRACTS RECOMMENDED FOR REVIEW
BY A FULL-SCALE ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION
CENTER 105
Journals 105
Abstract Sources 106
F« GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR ABSTRACTING AND INDEXING
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS FOR THE WATER
RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER (WRSIC) 107
G« "REVIEWS" DISTRIBUTION LIST 118
AQCL Staff Distribution 118
External Distribution 118
H« INITIAL LIST OF JOURNALS AND ABSTRACT SOURCES TO BE
PURCHASED FOR AN OPERATIONAL CENTER 125
Journals
Abstract Sources
*' THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION NETWORKS 127
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APPENDIX A
QUOTES TAKEN FROM THE "ANALYTIC! QUALITY
CONTROL LA&OftA'lukV" MMWLET UAilJh wKtikn IQK«
"Methods Research
Although analytical methods are available for most of the
routine measurements used in water pollution control, there
is a continuing need for improvement in sensitivity, pre-
cision, accuracy, and speed. Further development is required
to take advantage of modern instrumentation in the water
laboratory. In microbiology, the use of new bacterial indi-
cators of pollution, including pathogens, creates a need for
rapid identification and counting procedures. Biological
collection methods need to be standardized to permit efficient
interchange of data, the AQC Laboratory devotes its research
efforts to the improvement of the routine tools of the trade.
Methods Selection
Assisted by Advisory Committees, the AQCL provides a program
for the selection of the available procedures in water and
waste analysis . Through the publishing of FWPCA methods
manuals, updated regularly, the program insures the uniform
application of analytical methods in all laboratories of
WQO. The validity of the chosen procedures and the evalua-
tion of satisfactory performance in analysis are verified
by reference sample studies involving participation by
regional basin and project laboratory staff personnel.
Intralaboratory Quality Control
To maintain a high level of performance in daily activities,
every analytical laboratory must provide a system of checks
on the accuracy of reported results. While this is part of the
basic responsibility of the analyst and his supervisor, the
AQCL provides guidance in the development of model programs
which can be incorporated into the laboratory routine.
AQC Regional Coordinators
The Administration-wide quality control program is carried
out through WQO Regional AQC Coordinators. The Coordinator,
appointed by the Regional Director, implements the program
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in his regional laboratory and maintains relations with
state and interstate pollution control agencies to encourage
their use of WQQ methods and active participation in the
analytical quality control effort. In addition, the
Coordinator brings to the attention of the AQC Laboratory
the special needs of his region in analytical methodology.
U. S. Geological Survey
Because water quality surveillance is a joint program
between WQO, the U. S. Geological Survey, and the states,
the AQCL works closely with the USGS in securing uniform
methods in both agencies . Through regular interchange of
procedural outlines and joint participation in reference
sample studies, the two agencies seek to promote complete
cooperation in water quality data acquisition.
Professional Liaison
The Laboratory staff, along with other WQO scientists,
actively participates in the preparation of Standard Methods
for the Examination of Voter and Wastewater (American Public
Health Association), and in subcommittee and task group
activities on Committee D-19 of the American Society for
Testing and Materials. A senior member of the AQCL staff
is General Referee for Water, Subcommittee D, of the
Association of Official Analytical Chemists ."
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APPENDIX B
COPIES
_ ..
ANALYTICAL METHODS DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH "PROGRAM
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MEMORANDUM FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
To: See Below Date: Jan 21, 1970
From: Assistant Commissioner, Research & Development
Assistant Commissioner, Operations
Subject: National Analytical Methods Development Research Program
The Division of Water Quality Research of the Office of Research and
Development has been assigned responsibility for the development of
analytical methods required by the Administration's national program
for water pollution control. The analytical methodology required may be
divided into three categories: 1) Research, 2) Standard, and 3) Special.
1. Research Analytical Methodology
This category consists primarily of longer term research generated
from within the Office of Research and Development to fill its own
needs and the ultimate needs of the Administration. It involves
the development of new principles and new applications that, once
completed, may or may not be immediately useful to the Operations
group without further research. Projects in this category require
a very high degree of technical skill and imagination and may
involve highly complex and expensive instrumentation. Usually
such projects will require two or more man-years for completion.
Prime responsibility for research on physical and chemical
analytical methodology is assigned to the Southeast Water Laboratory,
Athens, Georgia. Responsibility for research on viral and bacterial
detection and identification methods, in both fresh and marine waters,
is assigned to the Robert A. Taft Water Research Center.
2. Standard Analytical Methodology
Research efforts in this category related to the development of the
"tools of the trade" for the Administration and to insuring the
reliability of analytical data generated anywhere within FVIPCA. The
work consists of short-term research requiring less than tv/o man-years
for completion and involving the perfection, modification, and
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standardization of methods for the operating programs for FWPCA.
The results should have an immediate impact on the collection of
water quality data for the Administration's water pollution control
program. The complexity of the instrumentation and of the procedures
developed should be such that they may be readily applicable to
routine surveillance and control operations. Prime responsibility
for research on thecmical, biological and microbiological standard
analytical methodology, for the establishment of standard analytical
methods, and for the assurance of the quality of analytical data
generated anywhere within FWPCA is assigned to the Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio
3. Special Analytical Methodology
Very short term analytical methodology research requiring less than
two man-months of effort comprise the major portion of projects in
this category. These projects are usually of the "quick'fix" variety
and may be carried out at any laboratory. Also included is all
analytical research which is an essential part of a broader research
activity such as the elucidation of the mechanism of a reaction, the
control of a process, or the explanation of a phenomenon. However,
all such work should be carefully examined periodically. When it
can be shown that there is a general and continuing need by several
groups within FWPCA for the methodology involved, the task should
be transferred to one of the two categories described above, as
appropriate. Accordingly, all analytical methodology research which
requires more than two man-months for completion, should be submitted
on "Need" forms to the Assistant Commissioner for Research and
Development or to the Assistant Commissioner for Operations before
the work is initiated.
Finally, in this category fall all analytical methodology research
which for reasons of special technical competence, equipment, or
location may best be carried out at a given laboratory regardless
of duration or scope. Such work must be approved in each instance
by the Assistant Commissioner for Research and Development or the
Assistant Commissioner for Operations. Approvals are subject to
continual review and relocation to meet program requirements.
The Analytical Quality Control Laboratory will determine deficiencies
in present analytical methods, when they are applied to salt water
samples, by distributing standard concentrates for analysis by each
laboratory after dilution with marine waters representative of the
samples usually encountered in the region. Specific task assignments
will be made after the results of the cooperative analytical survey
have been evaluated.
Only the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory is authorized to issue
official FWPCA publications on analytical methods. Other laboratories
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may publish accounts of their analytical research but may publish
methods only with the concurrence of the Analytical Quality Control
Laboratory
David G. Stephan
Allan Hlrsch
Addressees:
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Director,
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Regional
Director,
Director,
Director,
Southeast Water Laboratory
Analytical Quality Control Laboratory
Robert A. Taft Water Research Center
Hudson-Del aware Basins Office
National Water Quality Laboratory
National Marine Water Quality Laboratory
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center
Alaska Water Laboratory
Director, Northeast Region
Director, Middle Atlantic Region
Director, Southeast Region
Director, Ohio Basin Region
Director, Great Lakes Region
Director, Missouri Basin Region
Director, South Central Region
Director, Southwest Region
Director, Northwest Region
Water Quality Research
Applied Science and Technology
Process Research and Development
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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MEMORANDUM Federal Water Quality Administration
To: See Below Date: 7 Jul 1970
From: Assistant Commissioner, Research and Development
Assistant Commissioner, Operations
Subject: National Analytical Methods Development Research Program
This memorandum supersedes a memorandum of January 21, 1970, on this same
subject.
The Division of Water Quality Research of the Office of Research and
Development has been assigned responsibility for the development of
analytical methods required by the Administration's national program
for water pollution control. The analytical methodology required may be
divided into three categories: (1) Research, (2) Standard, and
(3) Special.
1. Research Analytical Methodology
This category consists primarily of longer term research generated
from within the Office of Research and Development to fill its own
needs and the ultimate needs of the Administration. It involves the
development of new principles and new applications that, once com-
pleted, may or may not be immediately useful to the Operations group
without further research. Projects in this category require a very
high degree of technical skill and imagination and may involve highly
complex and expensive instrumentation. Usually such projects will
require two or more man-years for completion. Prime responsibility
for research on physical and chemical analytical methodology is
assigned to the Southeast Water Laboratory, Athens, Georgia.
Responsibility for research on viral and bacterial detection and
identification methods, in both fresh and marine waters, is assigned
to the Robert A. Taft Water Research Center
2. Standard Analytical Methodology
Research efforts in this category relate to the development of the
"tools of the trade" for the Administration and to insuring the
reliability of analytical data generated anywhere within FWQA. The
work consists of short-term research requiring less than two man-years
for completion and involving the perfection, modification, and
standardization of methods for the operating programs of FWQA. The
results should have an immediate impact on the collection of water
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quality data for the Administration's water pollution control program.
The complexity of the instrumentation and of the procedures developed
should be such that they may be readily applicable to routine surveil-
lance and control operations. Prime responsibility for research on
chemical, biological and microbiological standard analytical methodo-
logy, for the establishment of standard analytical methods, and for
the assurance of the quality of analytical data generated anywhere
within FWQA is assigned to the Analytical Quality Control Laboratory,
1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio.
3. Special Analytical Methodology
Very short-term analytical methodology research requiring less than
two man-months of effort comprise the major portion of projects in
this category. These projects are usually of the "quick-fix" variety
and may be carried out at any laboratory. Also included is all
analytical research which is an essential part of a broader research
activity such as the elucidation of the mechanism of a reaction, the
control of a process, or the explanation of a phenomenon. However,
all such work should be carefully examined periodically. When it
can be shown that there is a general and continuing need by several
groups within FWQA for the methodology involved, the task should be
transferred to one of the two categories described above, as
appropriate. Accordingly, all analytical methodology research which
requires more than two man-months for completion, should be submitted
on "Need" forms to the Assistant Commissioner for Research and
Development or to the Assistant Commissioner for Operations before
the work is initiated.
Finally, in this category fall all analytical methodology research
which for reasons of special technical competence, equipment, or
location may best be carried out at a given laboratory regardless
of duration or scope. Such work must be approved in each instance
by the Assistant Commissioner for Research and Development or the
Assistant Commissioner for Operations. Approvals are subject to
continual review and relocation to meet program requirements.
The Analytical Quality Control Laboratory will determine deficiencies in
Present analytical methods, when they are applied to salt water samples,
by distributing standard concentrates for analysis by each laboratory
*fter dilution with marine waters representative of the samples usually
encountered in the region. Specific task assignments will be made after
results of the cooperative analytical survey have been evaluated.
the Analytical Water Quality Control Laboratory is authorized to
Prescribe official FWQA analytical methods. Official FWQA analytical
Methods are those that have been reviewed by the Assistant Commissioners
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and approved by the Commissioner. Other laboratories may continue to
publish accounts of their analytical research including that pertaining
to methods but will not indicate that they constitute official FWQA
methods.
David G. Stephan
Eugene T. Jensen
Addressees:
Director, Southeast Water Laboratory
Director, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory
Director, Robert A. Taft Water Research Center
Director, Hudson-Delaware Basins Office
Director, National Water Quality Laboratory
Director, National Marine Water Quality Laboratory
Director, Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
Director, Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center
Director, Alaska Water Laboratory
Regional Director, Northeast Region
Regional Director, Middle Atlantic Region
Regional Director, Southeast Region
Regional Director, Ohio Basin Region
Regional Director, Great Lakes Region
Regional Director, Missouri Basin Region
Regional Director, South Central Region
Regional Director, Southwest Region
Regional Director, Northwest Region
Director, Water Quality Research
Director, Applied Science and Technology
Director, Process Research and Development
COPY
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APPENDIX C
ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL LABORATORY WORK PLANS AS QF JUNE, 1970
BIOLOGY (16030)
1. Development of improved methods to measure total plankton bionass.
2. New methods for the identification of macroinvertebrates.
3. Testing comparability of benthic sampling devices.
4. The effects of exposure period and depth on macroinvertebrate
collections from artificial substrates.
5. Artificial substrates for benthic organisms.
6. Mechanical device for sorting bottom samples.
7. Macroinvertebrate biomass as a measure of water quality.
8. Biological identification of the type and level of pollution by
using mathematical indices.
9. Methods for automatic phytoplankton counting.
10. Revision of diatom identification manual.
11. Stenonema mayflies in pollution studies.
12. Manual for the identification of Attached Microorganisms
(Periphyton).
13. Improved methods for extracting, identifying and quantitating algal
pigment.
14. Methods for measuring effects of toxic industrial effluents on
natural communities of microorganism.
INSTRUMENTATION (15020)
1. Field investigation of the phenolic measurement system for applica-
tion in the continuous water quality monitoring instrumentation
systems.
2. Expand measurement capability of automatic and continuous water
quality monitoring instrumentation systems.
3. Determine feasibility and components required to inferface small
digital computer to laboratory instrumentation and regional larger
scale digital computer.
4. Network for accumulation and analysis of water quality employing a
smaller scale digital computer.
5. Investigation of intake systems for automatic and continuous water
quality monitoring instrumentation.
6. Specifications for an integrated water quality data acquisition
system.
7. Submersible water quality measurement system.
8. Measurement of flow through automatic water quality monitors.
9. Development of new flow cell concept for application in automatic
water quality monitoring instrumentation systems.
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MICROBIOLOGY (16030)
1. Investigation of improved methods for the identification of enteric
pathogens.
2. Rapid identification and enumeration of microorganisms in water by
the fluorescent antibody technique.
3. Effect of storage time and temperature on water samples for micro-
biological analyses.
4. Methods for determining the survival of pathogens and indicator
organisms.
5. Development of a delayed incubation membrane filter test for fecal
coliforms.
6. Development of improved methods for the detection of fecal
streptococci.
7. Development of a method for the microbiological analysis of sedi-
ments and water-mud interfaces.
8. The development of a method for the isolation and enumeration of
enteropathogenic £. coli from water.
9. Methods for the isolation and identification of leptospira in water.
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL (General Analyses) (16020)
1. Evaluation of methods for measuring nitrilotriacetic acid.
2. Continuous monitoring by automated colorimetric procedures.
3. Evaluation of mercury chloride interference in nutrient analyses.
4. Evaluation, modification, and development of automated colori-
metric laboratory procedures.
5. Determination of total phosphorus in organic samples.
6. Evaluation of specific ion electrodes.
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL (Metals) (16020)
1. The quantitative determination of trace metal ions using the helium
glow technique.
2. Application of fluorescence to metals analysis.
3. Better methods for metals determination from remote areas to avoid
sample shipment - ion exchange.
4. Improved methods for the characterization of oil based on metal
content.
5. Sample preservation and prolonged storage.
6. Determination of selenium in surface water by atomic absorption
spectroscopy.
7. Efficiency of extraction and separation methods for trace metals by
absorption and/or emission spectroscopy.
8. A computer program for trace metal calculations.
9. FWPCA official methods for trace metals by atomic absorption
spectrophotometry.
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL (Oil Pollutants) (16020)
1. Characterization and identification of light oils and heavy fuel oils
by means of differential thermal analyses.
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2. Identification of crude oils by the thin layer chromatographic
analyses of the pentafluorobenzyl derivatives of phenols, mercaptans,
and acids in crudes.
3. Development of methodology for rapid analyses of physical mixtures
of oil slicks.
4. Identification of crude oils spilled in surface waters by gas
chromatography.
5. Characterizing and identification of heavy fuel oils and other
petroleum products by molecular photochemical spectroscopy.
6. Identifying certain oil slicks through analyses for vanadium and
nickel.
7. Toxic wastes solvated by waste petroleum products.
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL (organics) (15020)
1. Method for isolation and identification of polychlorinated biphenyl
compounds in water.
2. Method for evaluating the qualitative accuracy of analytical pro-
cedures used for determination of organics in water.
3. FWPCA method for organophosphorus pesticides in water.
4. Method for determination of specific organic nitrogen compounds in
water.
5. FWPCA method for organochlorine pesticides in water.
6. An internal control compound to validate results of analysis of
surface waters for chlorinated pesticides.
7. Efficiency of carbon adsorption method for recovery of specific
organic compounds from water.
8. Liquid chromatography as a tool for clean-up, separation and
identification of organic pollutants.
METHODS & PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (10020, IGOSO)
1. Evaluation of analytical methods selected by FWQA for nutrient
analyses.
2. Evaluation of analytical methods selected by FUQA for demand
analyses.
3. Evaluation of analytical methods selected by FWQA for plankton,
biology.
4. Evaluation of automated methods of analyses selected by FWQA for
minerals and nutrients.
5. Evaluation of ASTM and FUQA method of analyses selected for
chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides.
6. Development of Nitrilotriacetic Acid (MTA) reference samples for
intralaboratory quality control in FWQA.
7. Development of trace metal reference samples for intralaboratory
quality control in FWQA.
8. Development of mercury reference samples for intralaboratory quality
control in FWQA.
9. Development of mineral reference samples for intralaboratory quality
control in FWQA.
10. Development of nutrient reference samples for intralaboratory quality
control in FWQA.
H. Development of demand reference samples for intralaboratory quality
control in FWQA.
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APPENDIX D
JOURNALS AND ABSTRACTS REVIEWED DURING THE PILOT STUDY
Journals
Expected Items/Year
ASME Journal of Basic Engineering 1
Agricultural Chemicals 2
Agricultural Research 12
American Midland Naturalist 15
American Oil Chemist's Society Journal 8
American Society of Civil Engineers'
Journal of the Sanitary Engineering Division 15
American Society of Civil Engineers* 2
Journal of Irrigation
American Society of Civil Engineers '
Journal of Hydraulics 6
American Water Works Association Journal 33
Analyst 31
Analytica Chimica Acta 28
Analytical Biochemistry 6
Analytical Chemistry 24
Applied Microbiology 88
Applied Spectroscopy 4
Archives of Environmental Health 5
Association of Official Analytical
Chemists' Journal 18
Bacteriological Reviews 1
8
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination
and Toxicology 20
Bulletin of Marine Science 10
- Critical Reviews in Environmental
Control 6
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Expected Items/Year
Canadian Journal of Microbiology 12
Canadian Fisheries Research Board Journal 60
Chemical and Engineering News 45
Chemical Engineering 14
Chemical Processing 1
Chemical Week 25
Commercial Fisheries Review 6
Control and Instrumentation 8
Control Engineering 6
Ecology 14
E E E 3
Electrochemical Society Journal 3
Electrochimica Acta 1
Electronic Instrument Digest 7
Environment 12
Environmental Science and Technology 40
Health Laboratory Science 2
Hydraulics and Pneumatics 1
Hydrocarbon Processing 3
IEEE Transactions on Industrial
Electronics and Control Instrumentation 2
ISA Transactions 6
Indian Academy of Science, Proceedings 6
Indian Institute of Science, Journal 1
Indian Journal of Technology 2
Industrial Research 6
Industrial Water Engineering 26
TOO
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Expected Items/Year
Institute of Petroleum, Journal g
Instruments and Control Systems 12
Instrument Practice 2
.Instrumentation 4
Instrumentation Technology g
International Association of Science
Hydrology, Bulletin 2
International Journal of Applied
Radiation and Isotopes 4
journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 8
Journal of Applied Bacteriology 5
journal of Bacteriology 1
Journal of Chromatograp|iy 15
journal of Chromatographic Sciences 5
Journal of General Microbiology 5
journal of Marine Research 1
Journal of Physical Chemistry 2
journal of the Science of Food and
Agriculture 4
journal of Microscopy 2
Ijaboratory Practice g
^imnoloev and Oceanography gg
Ijiinnos •>
&ikrobiologfva 12
Hleroehetnlcal Journal 5
Microscope •>
Mikrochlmica Acta
7
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Expected Items/Year
Mycologia 3
Mycopathologiaet 2
National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings 1
Nature 12
New York Academy of Sciences, Transactions 4
New Scientist 24
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 2
Ocean Engineering 2
Ocean Industry 4
Oceanology International 3
Ohio Journal of Science 8
Okeanologiya 12
Pesticides Monitoring Journal 10
Plant and Soil Science 2
Product R & D, Industrial and
Engineering Chemistry 7
Public Works 6
Quality Progress 4
Royal Society of London, Biological,
Philosophical Transactions 1
Research/Development 3
Review of Scientific Instruments 2
Science 66
Sea Frontiers 1
The Sciences 2
Technometrics 1
Water and Sewage Works 24
Water and Wastes Engineering 11
102
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Expected Items/Year
jteter and Water Engineering 3
jjater Pollution Control Federation Journal 68
Water Research 35
jjater Resources Bulletin 6
Hater Resources Research 8
jjorld Petroleum 1
£git fur Analytische Chemie 5
Total 1,206
Abstract Sources
Dissertation Abstracts
Index
Technical Survey
Catalog of U.S. Government
Publications
JL. Government R & D Reports
Index
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APPENDIX E
ADDITIONAL JOURNALS AND ABSTRACTS RECOMMENDED
FOR REVIEW BY A FULL-SCALE ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER
Journals
American Microscopical Society Transactions
Archly fur Hyd rob lol ogle
Atomic Absorption Newsletter
Computer Logic Circuit Characteristics Tabulation
i&drobiologia
International Journal of Air and Water Pollution
iQternationale Revue des Gesamten Hydrotn'ologie
journal of Phycology
journal of Quality Technology
Ijarine Biology
jjgasurements and Data
l!gw Zealand Journal of Marine and Fresh Water Research
Ijova Hedwigia
Siycoloqia
pollution Engineering
^pceedings of the International Association of
and Applied Limnology (Verh. des'Int.
erein Limnol.)
Wildlife Review
Health Organization. Chronicle
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Abstract Sources
Current Contents
Selected Water Resources Abstracts
Hater Pollution Abstracts
Pollution Abstracts
Biological Abstracts
Aquatic Biology Abstracts
Chemical Abstracts
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APPENDIX F
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WATER RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER
Guidelines and Instructions for Abstracting and Indexing Scientific
and Technical Documents for the Water Resources
Scientific Information Center (WRSIC)
Revised
December, 1969
107
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UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OP THE INTERIOR
WATER RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER
These instructions have been prepared for the use of those who are
providing scientific and technical documents to the Water Resources
Scientific Information Center. With the publication growth in all
fields within recent history, information centers have undertaken
the task of keeping the various scientific communities aware of
current and past developments. An abstract and carefully selected
index terms taken together offer the user of WRSIC services a rapid
means of deciding whether a document is pertinent to his needs and
professional interests, thus .saving him the time necessary to scan
the complete work. These also provide WRSIC with a document repre-
sentation which is more easily stored and manipulated to produce
various services*
Authors are requested to accept the responsibility for preparing
abstracts of their own papers in the interest of facilitating quick
evaluation, announcement, and dissemination to the scientific community.
Abstracts in consistent format must also be generated for those foreign
and domestic materials not previously abstracted. We ask that you
follow the guidelines set forth below for abstracting and indexing
documents prepared in your professional field whether the document
was written by you or your colleagues.
A. ABSTRACTING
I. Definition
An abstract of a document is a shortened version containing or
referring to essential parts of the original. Other terms more or
less synonymous are extract, synopsis, summary, digest, and condensation.
Because of its abbreviated content, an abstract cannot contain all
the information given in the complete document; however, it can pro-
vide the reader with useful information and with a means of determining
whether the complete document should be obtained for study. Prom the
author's viewpoint, he should strive to be sufficiently descriptive as
to cover- the most significant points; from the reader's viewpoint the
abstract should be representative of the contents to the extent that
reading .it will enable a quick decision as to pertinency.
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2. Kinds og Abstracts
Two kinds of abstracts are used in the WRSIC system: informative and
indicative. An informative abstract is one that contains the essential
tacts reported in a document, including conclusions or recommendations.
It may satisfy the information needs of the reader without his having
to see the complete document. An indicative or descriptive abstract
tells the reader about the general content of the document. This type
should also be explicit enough to enable evaluating pertinency, but it
Usually cannot be regarded as a substitute for the full document.
The informative abstract probably does not require much more time to
prepare than the indicative type; it is, therefore, preferred for use
by WRSIC and should be prepared whenever possible. Some documents,
however, are so long and detailed that abstract space limitations will
«ake the indicative type more appropriate. There are occasions when a
Combined informative-indicative type would be quite appropriate.
*
Appendix A gives examples of the indicative, informative, and combined
abstracts.
3. Abstract Content and Format
Rigid standardization of the abstract and its content is neither
Accessary nor desirable. Both content and order of presentation will
depend on the type of document being abstracted and type of abstract to
ife written. Some guides for abstracting are:
Use complete sentences.
Avoid repeating the title in the first sentence.
Use language from the document whenever possible.
*Tell what is new.
*State the problem investigated.
*Give the method of investigation used.
^Report the conclusions.
*Give important results justifying the conclusions.
*Indicate whether important tables or graphs are included.
you are abstracting another investigator's work, another important
is not to editorialize; an abstract should never reflect your
*
Applicable primarily to informative-type abstract,
109
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opinion as to tha quality of work performed or validity of conclusions
drawn nor should it include any material or comments not in the original
document.
The abstract may start with a-statement a»to what new method, result, or
theory is reported, or it may begin with the purpose of the study and
set the stage for results and conclusions. Other abstracts may start
with conclusions. In any case, the reader should experience a smooth
flow of thought from one part to the next. If the document includes a
good bibliography of 15 or more references, this should be stated in the
abstract. for example: This article contains 26 references.
If an author abstract is available, the contents may be used as a guide to
preparation of the WRSIC abstract.
Additional information on writing abstracts may be found in the selected
bibliography to these instructions.
4. Tense and Voice
An abstract may be written in either the present or past tense. However,
since many abstracts report the result of research or experiments, they
should be written in the past tense. Some portions, such as conclusions
that are independent of time, may be written in the present tense. The
active voice is preferred.
B. INDEXING
1. Purpose of Indexing
Indexing a document in depth accomplishes two objectives: (1) it
provides multiple access to the document from many subject-matter points
or concepts, and (2) it allows for.flexibility in coordinating several
terms describing the user's subject interest profile in a Selective
Dissemination of Information (SDI) program.
2. Definitions
Index ing is the selection of specific words or terms which describe the
content of a document. Such words are called descriptors, identifiers,
Or keywords. As used by the Water Resources Scientific Information
Center, a descriptor is a word or combination of words preselected for
inclusion in a thesaurus.
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Identifiers are other terms not found in the approved thesaurus but
needed for the complete indexing o£ a document. Identifiers may include
geographical names, trade names, names of persons, names of procedures or
processes, producers, or terms similar to those in the thesaurus.
3. Thesaurus
The Water Resources Scientific Information Center requires the use of
the Water Resources Thesaurus, available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C., for $2 a copy. (Upon request to WRSIC,
a few copies of the thesaurus are available for review.) It is a
listing of terms selected to represent all facets of the water-resources
field. Broader and narrower terms are given in hierarchical schemes. For
easier indexing, related terms are given to suggest to the indexer other
descriptors that may be applicable to the document being indexed. Other
terms not listed in the thesaurus as descriptors may be found with a "use"
reference indicating a substitute approved term.
**. Procedure
Representative terms that cover the concepts discussed should be listed
and compared with those available in the thesaurus. If a term appears
on your list and in the thesaurus it is listed as a descriptor. If not,
It is listed as an identifier.
There is no fixed number of descriptors which adequately describes a
document. Between 10 and 20 descriptors are customarily used to index
the average report of 25 pages, since the greater the depth of indexing.
the greater the chance of retrieving only relevant documents in a
computer-aided search.
5. Weighting Descriptors
descriptors used in indexing a document are not of equal importance
in representing the contents. Ideally, each descriptor should be weighted
in accordance with a scale of relevance. As a practical approach, the
'"fcSlC system provides for tha use of asterisks, but when 20 descriptors
have been selected 4 or 5 may be an appropriate number to be shown with
*3teriskn. However, the use of the asterisk for a broad term, such as
biology, water pollution, hydrology, or economics is rarely justifiable.
The most important use of the starred descriptors and identifiers is in
the printed subject indexes. Since a machine-produced subject index
ttould list the title of a document under as many descriptors and identi-
fiers as were used to index that document, the economy of printing space
*nd machine time dictates that only a portion of the total descriptors
*nd identifiers be used. Hence the importance of singling out the few
""oat significant terms by the use of asterisks.
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6. Selecting Identifiers
The Water Resources Thesaurus was compiled to include as many terras' as
were thought to represent that field at the time. One should recognize
inadvertent omissions are impossible to avoid and that new terms are
being coined constantly, thereby working toward incompleteness. Thus,
useful indexing terms-not included in the thesaurus may be needed and
should be listed as identifiers.
C. REVIEW AND STANDARD FORMAT
1. Review of Author-Abstracts and Indexing Terms
Each author-generated abstract and indexing terms, whether incorporated
in the original document or prepared especially Cor WRSIC on the WR-102
input transaction form, should conform to the WRSIC requirements as
closely as possible. When necessary a limited review and revision will
be made by WRSIC and input transaction forms requiring substantial
revision will be returned to the source.
Ordinarily only one abstract per document will be required. In some
cases, however, such as proceedings or transactions of conferences,
anthologies, and certain other types of compilations in which essentially
separate papers or documents are issued as a single physical entity, the
abstractor may feel that more than one abstract should be prepared. In
this case, the abstractor should check with WRSIC so that coordination
with other WRSIC abstracting sources may be made to avoid duplication
and gaps. Where more than one abstract per physical entity is prepared,
a general abstract and citation covering the item as a whole must also be
prepared.
2. Review of Nonauthor Abstracts and Indexing Terms
Abstracts and indexing terms prepared for WRSIC should conform to the
requirements for WRSIC operations. WRSIC Input Transaction Form WR-102
(rev. July 1969), should be used for all submissions to WRSIC. Each
form must be accompanied with an original of the document abstracted.
Nonmonographic documents, such as articles in technical journals, should
be either extracted from the parent publication or reproduced in full
size. Sufficient bibliographic information to identify the parent pub-
lication or source should be placed on the front of the document. Form
WR-102 will be furnished by WRSIC upon request.
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3. Standard Format
To ensure usability of the completed Input Transaction Form for machine-
input, adharence is required to the following specific instructions which
are keyed to numbered fields of the WRSIC Input-Transaction Form (WR-102);
The specific rules for completing the form should be thoroughly understood
and carefully followed. The WRSIC information-retrieval system requires
that the individual user of Selected Water Resources Abstracts has
sufficient information within the abstract to determine whether or not
he wants to obtain the document. He must also have sufficient biblio-
graphic information to obtain the document either from a document collec-
tion such as a library or information center, or from the issuing source.
Finally, descriptors and identifiers must be carefully chosen tq insure
that the most important information concepts in the document are identi-
fied for the user.
Exhibits A through E are examples of entries for a journal article, a
book, a technical report, a confarence proceedings, and a translation
of an article, or report.
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Spec!flc Instructions for Completing WRSIC Input-Transaction Form
Entry: (1) Accession Number. Leave this space blank. This number
vill be assigned as the WRSIC identification number for
Selected Water Resources Abstracts.
(2) Subject Fields & Groups. Select from Classification Scheme
for the Water Resources Scientific Information Center,
August, 1968, included as a separate document, the
appropriate field and group to describe the document in
hand. Place a zero in front of the field and group. If
« secondary field and group is considered necessary, place
a comma after the first field and group, and enter the
secondary subject category, e.g., 05B, 06E for an abstract
on the legal aspects of sources of pollution.
(5) Organization. Name of organization performing the work,
i.e., corporate author or author's affiliation. The
essential elements of the corporate author entry are:
significant organization elements for source identification
and geographic location, e.g., California Univ., Berkeley,
Engineering Research Inst. Note: California University is
used rather than University of California, in order to
increase retrieval accuracy and establish a uniform
organization index.
(6) Title. TITLE OF THE ARTICLE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, followed
by a comma; e.g., REMOVAL OF ALGAL NUTRIENTS FROM RAW WASTE-
WATER: Lime,
(10) Personal Author(s). (Limited to five authors; transcribe
surname, first name, and middle initial, e.g., Buzzell,
John C, and Sawyer, Charles N.
(16) Project Designation. Project designation is usually shown
on the report title page, e.g., OWRR Project A-007-ARK.
(21) Note. This entry is used for notes and statements deemed
necessary as supplemental information, e.g., summaries in
English and French.
(22) Citation. DO NOT ABBREVIATE. Enter here all necessary
bibliographic information for identification of the source.
Esaential elements to be included are: title of journal or
serial, volume, number, inclusive pages, date, number of
figures, number of tables, and number of references; e.g.,
Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1,
p 63-29, March 1968. 8 fig. 2 tab, 8 ref.
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For monographs the elements are: place of publication,
publisher, date, and total pages, e.g., Baltimore,
Johns Hopkins Press, 1968. 549 p.
(23) Descriptors. Use the Water Resources Thesaurus to select
essential descriptors. Enter first those descriptors to
be marked with an aserisk (or "star" symbol) as being the
most important terms; followed by all other descriptors.
Descriptors are separated by commas, e.g., *Aquatic eco-
system, *Energy budget, etc.
(25) Identifers. As necessary, select additional descriptive
terms not found in the Water Resources Thesaurus. Place
first those identifers marked by an asterisk as being the
most important; followed directly by all other identifiers.
Identifiers are separated by commas; e.g., *Largo Lake,
Athens, Ga., Weiburg equation, etc.
(27) Abstract. The abstract should not exceed 200 words. Care
should be taken to avoid typographical errors within the
text of the abstract. At least one, and probably two,
careful proofreadings should be made to eliminate errors.
(note examples given in the Exhibits A thru E, and Appendix B
to these instructions, as well as abstracts appearing in
Selected Water Resources Abstracts.) Immediately following
the text of the abstract the abstractor's last name and the
name of his institution should be enclosed within parentheses,
e.g., (Gysi-Cornell) for Marshall Gysi, Cornell University.
The abstractor's full name, institutional affiliation, and
location of institution must be provided in the blocks at
the bottom of the form. Send the completed form to:
Water Resources Scientific Information Center
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D. C. 20240
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APPENDIX A
TnformnHve Abstract
(Title):CANAL & CULVERT INLET-OUTLET TRANSITIONS
Model studies of variations in open-type inlet and outlet transitions
for sm.ill ranals and culverts were made to determine hydraulic losses.
Closed conduit transitions between pipelines and open transitions re-
sulted in lower losses and better performance. A closed conduit transi-
tion, 6 dia long, with citcular inlet and rectangular outlet terminating
In a headwall normal to the canal centerline performed best. Energy
losses for this transition were 0.1 of the difference in velocity head
In the pipe and <-anal (delta h sub v). Conclusions were: (1) Energy
losses for conventional, broken-back, open channel transitions discharg-
ing from pipes into small canals are 0.6-0.7 delta h sub v. (2) Short,
closed conduit expanding transitions between the pipeline and modified,
broken-back transitions reduced outlet losses to 0.4 delta h «ub v and
less. (3) Reasonpble changes in angle of divergence of sidewalls, invert
slope of open transitions, or attitude of inlet pipeline had little ef-
fect on energy losses. (A) Outlet losses of existing broken-back transi-
tions can be reduced by installing hoods within the structures to form
controlled, closed conduit expanding sections. (5) Humps or flow spread-
ers on the inverts of open outlet transitions significantly reduced
scour with slightly increased head losses.
Indicative Abstract (same document)
(Title): CANAL & CULVERT INLET-OUTLET TRANSITIONS
Hydraulic losses due to variations in open-type inlet and outlet transi-
tions for canals and culverts are obtained from model studies. The ef-
fect of closed conduit transition sections between pipelines and open
transitions is discussed and the best type is determined. Energy losses
for transitions are reported in terms of the difference In the velocity
head in the pipe and in the canal. The paper contains 5 conclusions on
results of the model studies.
Informative-indicative Abstract
(Title): INCREASE YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY
One of the most gratifying things about creative problem solving Is that
once a person has developed a habit of inventively tackling problems,
there is almost no limit to the over-broadening area where he can use
his creative ability. Intense motivation is the foundation of creative
problem solving. Anyone who has experienced the satisfaction of solving
problems creatively usually finds that satisfaction alone is sufficient
motivation for further creative effort. Satisfaction in this sense is
almost synonymous with self-confidence. The individual who has a broad
knowledge of many fields and an abundance of accumulated experience can
come up with new and significant creative ideas easier and more rapidly
than the individual who has only a detailed specialized knowledge of one
particular field. Cuidelines are given for increasing the fund of total
experience upon which to build new patterns and configurations when
tackling problems). Many problems remain problems simply because they
have not been properly defined. Steps are listed to increase under-
standing of a problem. The first step is to define the problem and a
number of suggestions are made for analyzing, defining, and redefining.
Various techniques are described which can increase powers of observa-
tion and association during creative problem solving.
116
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Selected Bibliography
1. Hoegberg, Brick I. "The Abstractor and the Indexer," Journal of
Chemical Documentation, 1962. Vol. 2, pp 165-167
General information on the purpose and function of abstractors and
indexeda.
2. Potter, G. J. C. "Abstracting," In Information and Communication
Practice in Industry. Chap. 18, Singer, T. E. R. (editor)
Reinhold Publishing Co. 1958» pp 281-292
Outlines the basic concepts of abstracting; thus it should be read
by all abstractors.
3. Weil, B. H. Zar ember, I., and Oven, H. ''Technical-Abstracting
Fundamentals. I.. Introduction," Journal of Chemical
Documentation, 1963, Vol. 3, pp 86-89.
Denotes the distinction between informative and indicative abstracts.
Weil, B. H. , Zarember, I, and Owen, H. "Technical-Abstracting
Fundamentals. II. Writing Principles and Practices," Journal of
Chemical Documentation, 1963, Vol. 3, pp 125-132
to write technical abstracts; the fundamentals needed for developing
a concise writing style for abstracts.
Directions for Abstractors and Section Editors of Chemical Abstracts,
52 pages. American Chemical Society, Chemical Abstracts Service,
Columbus, Ohio 1960.
instructions, while specifically designed for chemical literature,
valuable aida for writing and editing abstracts*
Smith, Julian P. "Indexing," information and Communication
Practice in Industry, Chap. 17, Singer, T. B. R (editor),
Reinhold Publishing Co., 1958, pp 270-280
basic concepts of indexing; thus it should be read by all
indexers of documents.
117
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APPENDIX G
"REVIEWS" DISTRIBUTION LIST
AQCL Staff Distribution
Joseph B. Anderson
Dwlght G. BalHnger
Robert L. Booth
Robert H. Bordner
Harold Clements
Ronald Dressman
James Eichelburger
Morris E. Gales
Charles F. Henke
Eldrldge B. Henson
Elmo C. Julian
Fred K. Kawahara
John F. Kopp
Robert C. Kroner
Richard P. lauch
George T. Lewis
Philip A. Lewis
James J. Llchtenberg
Larry B. Lobring
James E. Longbottom
Mary C. Longbottom
William T. Mason
Benjamin H. McFarland
Anthony F. Mentlnk
Robert J. O'Herron
William J. Stang
Raymond H. Taylor
Cornelius I. Weber
John A. Winter
External Distribution
Alaska Water Laboratory
College, Alaska 99701
J. F. Allen
Acting Assistant Director
Biological Sciences
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Division of Water Quality Research
Washington, D.C. 20460
Max Anderson
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Lower Ohio Basin Office
111 East Diamond Expressway
Evansville, Indiana 47711
Robert Andrew
National Water Quality Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
6201 Congdon Blvd.
Duluth, Minnesota 55804
John Arthur
National Water Quality Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
6201 Congdon Blvd.
Duluth, Minnesota 55804
Ralph Austin
Environmental Protection Agency
South Central Region
Robert S. Kerr Water Research
Center
P. 0. Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 94820
Dr. A. F. Bartsch, Director
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
200 S. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
118
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Mr. James B. Basilico
Division of Process Research and
Development
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Donald Baumgartner
Coastal Pollution Research Program
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
200 S. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Mr. Robert G. Benefield
Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
P. 0. Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
Mr. Harold Bernard
Division of Applied Science and
Technology
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Francis T. Brezenski
Hudson-Delaware Basins Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Mrs. Dottie Brofft, Librarian
Robert A. Taft Water Research Center
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Dr. William Brungs, Director
Fish Toxicology Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
3411 Church Street
Newtown, Ohio 45244
Dr. Robert Bunch
Chief of Biological Treatment
Advanced Waste Treatment Laboratory
Robert A. Taft Water Research Center
Environmental Protection Agency
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Stephen Bugbee
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Missouri Basin Region
911 Walnut Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
William A. Cawley, Acting Director
Division of Water Quality Research
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20460
Cecil Chambers
Advanced Waste Treatment Laboratory
Robert A. Taft Water Research
Center
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
John T. Conner
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Building 22, Room 415
Denver Federal Center
Denver, Colorado 80225
John J. Convery
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Division of Water Quality Research
Washington, D.C. 20242
Mr. Robert E. Crowe
Division of Process Research and
Development
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Allen Cywin, Director
Division of Applied Science and
Technology
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, O.C. 20242
Waidermar A. Deben
Coastal Pollution Research Program
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
200 S. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
119
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B. Donaldson
Southeast Water Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
Mr. Casper Dufer, Librarian
East Central Station College
East 14th Street
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
Dr. William Duffer
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center
P. 0. Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
Dr. David Duttweiler, Director
Southeast Water Laboratory
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
Charles T. Elly
Lake Huron Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
P. 0. Box 217
Grosse He, Michigan 48134
James Finger
Southeast Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
A. F. Forziati
Acting Assistant Director
Physical Sciences
Division of Water Quality Research
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20460
Frederick Fuller
Lake Michigan Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
1819 W. Pershing Road
Chicago, Illinois 60609
Thomas Gallagher
Division of Field Investigations
Room 415, Building 22
Federal Center
Denver, Colorado 80225
Dr. Ronald Garton
National Thermal Pollution Research
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Mr. Ernst P. Hall
Division of Applied Science and
Technology
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Mr. Frank E. Hall
Office of Enforcement
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Dr. Curtis C. Harlin
Water Quality Control Research
Program
Robert S. Kerr Water Research
Center
P. 0. Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
Marl in D. Helming
Missouri Basin Regional Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
7300 Rochester
Kansas City, Missouri 64120
John R. Helvig
Upper Mississippi River Basin
Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
7401 Lyndale Avenue, S.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55423
Donald A. Hi 1den
Division of Water Quality Research
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20460
120
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C. R. Hirth
National Field Investigations
Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
5555 Ridge Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
William Hodgkiss
National Marine Water Quality
Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
P. 0. Box 277
West Kingston, Rhode Island 02893
Dr. Herbert Jackson
National Training Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Charles Jones
Charlottesville Technical Support
Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
300 West Main Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Arnold Joseph
Division of Water Quality Research
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20460
Lloyd Kahn
Hudson-Delaware Basins Office
Northeast Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Ernest KarveHs
Hudson-Delaware Basins Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Miss Pat Kerr
Southeast Water Laboratory
Environmental protection Agency
Water Quality Office
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
Lowell E. Keup
Division of Field Investigations
Office of Water Program
Washington, D.C. 20242
Conrad Klevano
Lake Erie Program Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
21929 Lorain Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44126
Thaddeus C. Kmieciak
Pacific Northv/est Water
Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
200 S. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Daniel Krawczyk
Pacific Northwest Water
Laboratory
Environmental Protecion Agency
Water Quality Office
200 S. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
James Labuy
Middle Atlantic Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
918 Emmet Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Mr. William J. Lacy
Division of Applied Science and
Technology
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
121
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Dr\ Ellis LaRoche
National Marine Water Quality
Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
P. 0. Box 277
West Kingston, Rhode Island 02892
Kenneth M. Mackenthun, Acting Director
Division of Technical Support
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Thomas Maloney
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
200 South 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Mr. Robert S. Mandancy
Division of Process Research and
Development
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
F. M. Middleton, Director
Robert A. Taft Water Research
Center
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Dr. Donald I. Mount, Director
National Water Quality Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
6201 Congdon Boulevard
Duluth, Minnesota 55804
Ernest W. Mueller
Alaska Water Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
Donald B. Nausshardt
Southwest Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Phelan Building
760 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Buell O1Conner
Southeast Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
L. A. Parker
Upper Ohio Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
303 Methodist Building
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
Donald Phelps
National Marine Water Quality
Laboratory
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
P. 0, Box 277
West Kingston, Rhode Island 03893
Michael V. Polito
Lower Florida Estuary Study
Southeast Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
P. 0. Drawer EEE
Holywood, Florida 33022
Frank H. Rainwater, Director
National Thermal Pollution Research
Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory
200 South 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Louis Resi
National Field Investigations Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
5555 Ridge Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
Dr. Aaron Rosen
National Field Investigations Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
5555 Ridge Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
122
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Mr. William Rosenkranz
Division of Applied Science and
Technology
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Washington, D.C. 20242
Curtis Ross
Lake Erie Ba§1n Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
21929 Loraln Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44126
Melvin W. Ruszaj
Lake Ontario Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
4664 Lake Avenue
P. 0. Box 4748
Rochester, New York 14612
Dr. Robert Safferman
Advanced Waste Treatment
Laboratory
Robert A. Taft Water Research
Center
Water Quality Office
Environmental Protection Agency
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Dr. Walter Sanders
Southeast Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
LeRoy E. Scarce
Great Lakes Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
1819 W. Pershing Road
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Charles Seeley
Calif/Nevada Basins Sub-Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
620 Central Avenue, Building 2G
Alameda, California 94501
Angel1 D. Sidio
National Field Investigations
Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
5555 Ridge Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
C. E. Stephan
Fish Toxicology Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
3411 Church Street
Newtown, Ohio 45244
Dr. David Stephan, Assistant
Commissioner
Research and Monitoring
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Dr. Louis G. Swaby
Staff Assistant, Physical
Sciences
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Division of Water Quality Research
Washington, D.C. 20460
A. F. Tabri
National Field Investigations
Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
5555 Ridge Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
Dr. Clarence M. Tarzwell, Director
National Marine Water Quality
Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
P. 0. Box 277
West Kingston, Rhode Island 02892
Edward L. Taylor
New England Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Needham Heights, Massachusetts 02194
123
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Lee B. Tebo
Southeast Water Laboratory
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30601
Kenneth Tinsley
Middle Atlantic Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
918 Emmet Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Orterio Villa
Chesapeake Field Station
Middle Atlantic Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Richard Wagner
Northwest Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Pittock Block Room 501
Portland, Oregon 97205
Carl Walters
Missouri Basin Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
7300 Rochester Road
P. 0. Box 4693
Kansas City, Missouri 64120
Robert T. Williams
Robert A. Taft Water Research
Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
George Wirth, Chief
Pollution Surveillance Branch
Division of Technical Support
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
Office of Operations
Washington, D.C. 20242
David Wood
California Nevada Basins
Sub-Region
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
620 Central Avenue, Building 2G
Alameda, California 94501
Marvin L. Wood, Director
Robert S. Kerr Water Research
Center
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
P. 0. Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
T. E. Yeates
Lower Ohio Basin Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Office
111 East Diamond Expressway
Evansville, Indiana 47711
124
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APPENDIX H
INITIAL LIST OF JOURNALS AND ABSTRACT
SOURCES TO BE PURCHASED FOR AM OPERATIONAL CENTER
Journals
American Microscopical Society Transactions
American Midland Naturalist
American Hater Works Association Journal
Analyst
Analytical Chimica Acta
Analytical Chemistry
Applied Microbiology
Archiv fur Hvdrobiologie
Association of Official Analytical
Chemists' Journal'
Atonic Absorption Newsletter
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination
and Toxicology "
Canadian Fisheries Research Board Journal
Chemical and Engineering Mews
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Week
Environmental Science and Techno!ogy
Hydrobiologia
Industrial Uater Engineering
International Journal of Air and Water Pollution
Internationale Revue des Gesamten Hydrobiologie
Journal of Phvcology,
125
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Journal of Quality Technology
Limnology and Oceanography
Marine Biology
Measurements and Data
New Scientist
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Fresh Hater
Research
Nova Hedwigia
Pesticides Monitoring Journal
Phycologia
Pollution Engineering
Proceedings of the International Association of
Theoretical and Applied Limnology (Verh. des Int.
Verein Limnol.J
Science
Watej* and Sewage Works
Water and Vfastes Engineering
Water Pollution Control Federation Journal
Water Research
Wildlife Review
World Health Organization, Chronicle
Abstract Sources
U. S. Government Research and Development Reports
126
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APPENDIX I
Darby, R.L., Kohn, R.S., Carroll, I.E., Pcnniman, W. 3., and Morrison,
D. L., "Technical Intelligence and Project Information System for the
Environmental Health Service. Volume II, EMS Information Network
Analysis,", Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus Laboratories, Colunhus,
Ohio, pp 80-84.
THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION NETWORKS
Over the past 5 years, increased national recognition has been given to the con-
cept of information networks. However, real progress in the establishment of operating
networks has neither been particularly rapid nor clean cut. Before attempting to de-
velop an information network for the EHS, it is desirable to examine the concept itself.
Perhaps the most flexible definition of an information network was developed by
Becker and Olson^) as follows:
"In an information network, more than two participants are engaged in a
common pattern of information exchange through communications for
some functional purpose.. . "
In some instances, the functional purposes of information exchange may be quite gen-
eral. For example, for years libraries have operated a very loosely constructed in-
formation network for the exchange of journals and books (interlibrary loans) and for
the centralized storage of older and less used materials (archival storage).
However, in modern context, the functional purposes of information exchange are
becoming more and more specialized. An example is the information system network
•Requirements for that system, as an example, include:
System/360 with 64K of core storage and DOS
Console typewriter, card reader, and line printer (132 positions)
Five magnetic tape drives
Five 2311 disk drives
One 2521 data cell drive.
Source: •Operating Instructions for an Information Storage and Retrieval System", prepared for Consumer Protection Environ-
mental Health Service by The Service Bureau Corporation, July, 1968.
127
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being established by the Office of Education, the Educational Resources Information
Center (ERIC). Even more highly specialized networks are being established or
planned, one of which would be for the Environmental Health Service.
Two principal types of information networks appear to be evolving:
(a) Banding together of various types of information resources (e. g. ,
libraries, information systems, referral centers) into some type
of communications cooperative.
(b) A network of computerized information centers, presumably inter-
connected to permit machine-machine interfaces. It is generally
assumed that man will interface with the computers through remote
real-time access terminals.
Within these two broad categories, there may be multiple subsets designed to meet
specialized requirements. For example, information networks maybe identified as a
combination of class of equipment, form of data, and function, examples of which are
shown in Table 22. It is easy to visualize a form of information transfer network based
upon almost any combination shown in the table.
The problem is one of choosing the best configuration or combination of configura-
tions dependent upon the requirements to be placed upon the network, the benefits to
be gained, and their cost effectiveness. The premature selection of both class of equip-
ment and form of data can result in costly revisions and modifications at later dates..
This has occurred all too often in the early design of information systems: the system
was designed to fit the available hardware and later expensive modifications became nec-
essary to meet user requirements.
The ideal characteristics for an information network, as presented in Becker and
Olson's paper, provide a much more flexible basis for consideration of the networks.
These are shown in Table 23.
The aspects of network organization warrant more detailed consideration. Fig-
ure 11 presents three basic alternative types of organization for information networks.
The simplest of these is the monolith. The monolith is a highly centralized informa-
tion system that draws together into one system those functions that might otherwise
be performed by a number of individual systems. For its designated sphere of cogni-
zance, the monolith acquires all of the required information, processes it into a unified
store, receives and responds to all inquiries, and provides all the needed products and
services for the entire user population.
The free, unorganized network permits individual systems to develop whenever
and wherever they are needed. To the extent that interaction or cooperation between
the diverse systems is required to properly service an inquiry or to provide other
products or services, the operators of each of the individual systems must establish
and maintain such channels of interaction as they see fit.
The concept of the coordinated network also permits individual systems to develop
wherever needed. However, in this case, a central coordinating organization is super-
imposed on the population of individual systems such that the lines of interaction are
markedly simplified an shown in Figure ll(c). For example, suppose an inquiry were
128
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TABLE 22. IDENTIFICATION OF INFORMATION NETWORKS
Class of Equipment Form of Data Function
Telephone network Digital network Financial networks
Teletype network Audio network Library networks
Facsimile network Video network Biomedical information networks
Computer network Film network Educational networks
Etc. Etc. Agricultural networks
Management networks
Etc.
Source: Adapted from J. Becker and W. C Obon, "Information Networks". Annu. Rev. Inform. Scl. Technol.. 3, 289-327
(1968).
TABLE 23. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION NETWORKS
Characteristics Prescription
Formal organization The combining of many sources through overall
administrative control
Communications Creation of circuits to connect geographically
distant sources rapidly
Bidirectional operation Provision for two-way flow of information between
points in the network so that a user may also
function as a source
Directory and switching The capability to identify and access the best
capability source(s) to satisfy a particular request
129
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o. Monolith
b. Free-Unorgonized
Network
c. Coordinoted
Network
ALTERNATIVE
or
d Free-Unorgonized Network e. Coordinated Network
AGGLOMERATED
FIGURE 11. NETWORK ORGANIZATIONS
130
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directed to one of the systems in the network, but that a comprehensive response to the
inquiry would require inputs from a number of the individual systems. In the coordi-
nated network, the centralized coordinating body would assume the task of acquiring the
coordinating multiple inputs and making them available to the one system that must
answer the inquiry.
This characterization of the coordinating network provides the basis for under-
standing the concepts of the referral system and the switching system. In a referral
network, the inquiry addressed to any individual system is referred to other additional
systems that can contribute to the answer. This requires the inquirer to establish
direct contact with those systems to which he is referred in order to obtain their inputs
toward answering the inquiry. The switching network goes a step further in providing
service to the inquirer. Having received an inquiry, the switching network establishes
contact with all of the appropriate associated systems, acquires their inputs to the
answer to the inquiry, consolidates these inputs and presents to the inquirer a compre-
hensive coordinated response to his inquiry. In the case of either the referral network
or the switching network it is the centralized coordinating body that provides the inter-
system cooperation required. These concepts are highly related to the basic informa-
tion and data distribution patterns discussed in an article by Stanley Applebaum of Lever
Data Processing Services, Inc. <36I
As an illustration, the series of three organizational models of Figure 11 might
be applied to information-handling functions of a corporation. A corporation could
consider building a monolithic information system, "the corporate information system
What is more likely to happen is that a corporation will allow each department (such a
manufacturing, finance, accounting, personnel, sales) to devise and construct its own
information-handling facilities as it sees fit. If this is the case, the corporate informa-
tion system may become either a free unorganized network or a coordinated network
(involving a centralized corporate information referral or switching group).
The same organizational models can be applied, for example, at the national level.
The Soviet Union chose to implement the monolithic VINITI, the centralized Soviet
national system for handling scientific and technical information. A brief look at the
overall information-handling situation in the United States would show the "national sys-
tem" to be a free unorganized network in which a proliferation of individual systems of
various sizes, types, and subject areas have been permitted to grow and interact on an
almost totally uncontrolled basis. The influence applied so far by the United States
Government has been in the direction of achieving a coordinated national network of
information systems rather than moving toward a monolithic structure.
The two examples above illustrates that the three organizational models can be
applied to information situations at almost any level of generality or specificity. It is
important to realize further that any single satellite system in either the free unorg-
anized network model or the coordinated network model could itself be organized
according to anyone of the three models (a monolith, a free unorganized network, or a
coordinated network) as illustrated in Figure 11. Thus, these three organizational
models can form a variety of combinations to represent the total complex of organiza-
tional relationships in all types of networks from the very simple to the very complex.
as
131
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1 1 Accf**io» Number
2
Subiei r Fn-ld SL Group
10A
SELECTED WATER RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Analytical Methodology Information Center
6 \ril"
DESIGN AND OPERATION OF AN INFORMATION CENTER ON ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY,
|Q \Aulhor(a)
Little, Robert L.
Darby, Ralph L.
Dennis, Bernard K.
16
21
Project Designation
Program #16020FS06/71
Note
22 I Citation
June 1971, Final Report, Contract No. 14-12-862, 175 pp
on I
Descriptors (Starred First)
Information retrieval, Data collections, Automation, Digital computers, Cost analysis,
Chemical analysis, Analytical techniques, Aquatic microbiology, Instrumentation,
Identifier* (Starred Fir*/)
Information centers, Information storage and retrieval systems,
271 Ab,i,aet Pnder WQ0 Contract Number 14-12-862, the Columbus Laboratories of Battelle
Memorial Institute were commissioned to "design and operate a pilot analytical methodology
information storage and retrieval system tailored to the needs of the Analytical Quality
Control Laboratory (AQCL) and other segments of the National Analytical Methods Development
Research Program (NAMDRP)".
The contractual requirements were met during a nine-month research period by the
following activities: definition and statement of the AQCL scope of interests; acquisition
of a total of 1145 technical reports and articles; abstracting and indexing of 470 technical
documents; preparation of three prototype issues of a current awareness bulletin entitled
"Reviews of Current Literature on Analytical Methodology"; preparation of 115 items for in-
put to the Water Resources Scientific Information Center; provision of 13 quick responses
to techniqal inquiries as well as other information services such as document loans and
translations; consideration of methods for interacting with other facilities such as the
Science Information Exchange (SIE); development of a procedure for processing and inputting
information to a computerized information storage and retrieval system; demonstration of a
computerized information storage and retrieval system at AQCL; Recommendations for an
operational information center on analytical methodology; cost analysis of the recommended
information center.
Complete discussions of all these activities are included in the report (Little--
Battelle)
''•'"Robert L. Little
WMlIOZ INCV. JUL* »•••»
~iatTeTle Memorial Institute, Columbus Laboratories, Ohio
MA1HINSTON. O C
"NTe"
• »»•: !•••- *•••»!•
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