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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
1.1 Sampling to Accurately Inform Environmental Cleanup
1.2 What Is ISM?
1.3 Why Should ISM Be Considered for My Site?
1.4 How Is ISM Implemented for Environmental Sampling?
1.5 Document Content – How to Use This Guidance
2 Nature of Soil Sampling
2 Nature of Soil Sampling
2.1 Introduction
2.2 ISM Accommodates the Complexities of Soil Testing
2.3 Mean ISM QC
2.4 Physical Causes of Soil Data Variability
2.5 Sample and Data Representativeness
2.6 Managing Heterogeneity to Ensure Sample Representativeness
3 Systematic Planning, Statistical Analyses, and Costs
3 Systematic Planning, Statistical Analyses, and Costs
3.1 Systematic Planning and DU Design
3.2 Statistical Concepts and Applications in ISM Projects
3.3 Planning for the Use of ISM Data
3.4 Cost-Benefit Analysis
4 Regulatory Context Field Implementation, Sample Collection, and Preparation
4 Regulatory Context Field Implementation, Sample Collection, and Preparation
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Field Planning
4.3 Field Locating
4.4 Sampling Tools and Methods
4.5 Decontamination
4.6 Sample Handling and Mass Reduction
5 Sample Processing and Analysis
5 Sample Processing and Analysis
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Choosing Appropriate ISM Processing Options
5.3 ISM Sample Preparation and Analysis
5.4 Quality Assurance/Quality Control
6 Data Quality Evaluation
6 Data Quality Evaluation
6.1 Data Verification, Validation, and Usability
6.2 Evaluation of DU Results
6.3 Evaluation of Statistical Assumptions
6.4 Decision Endpoints
7 Regulatory Acceptance
7 Regulatory Acceptance
7.1 Comparison of Survey Results from 2009 to 2019
7.2 Current State of Practice
7.3 Factors Affecting Regulatory Acceptability
7.4 Benefits to Foster Regulatory Acceptance of ISM
8 ISM for Risk Assessment
8 ISM for Risk Assessment
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Systematic Planning for ISM Data Use in Risk Assessment
8.3 EPCs from ISM Data for Human and Ecological Risk Assessment
8.4 Considerations for Use of Background ISM Data in Risk Assessment
8.5 Use of ISM for Post-Remediation Risk-Based Confirmation Sampling
8.6 Risk Communication Suggestions for Explaining ISM
9 Stakeholder Perspective and Tribal Input
9 Stakeholder Perspective and Tribal Input
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Stakeholder Engagement Through Systematic Planning
9.3 Communicating with Stakeholders
9.4 Case Studies
Appendices
Appendix A: Case Study Summaries
Appendix B: Statistical Simulations
Appendix C: Team Contacts
Appendix D: Glossary
Appendix E: Acronyms
Appendix F: References
Acknowledgments
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Appendix E: Acronyms

2,4-DNT          2,4-dinitrotoluene

ADEC             Alaska Department of Conservation

AL                  action level

AQC               analytical quality control

ASTM             ASTM International, formerly American Society for Testing and Materials

ATON             aid to navigation

BaP                benzo(a)pyrene

BTEX             benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes

BCa                bias-corrected accelerated bootstrap method

CAG               community advisory group

CCA               chromium, copper, and arsenic

CE2                long-range heterogeneity fluctuation error

CE3                periodic heterogeneity fluctuation error

CEC                cation exchange capacity

CFR                Code of Federal Regulations

CH                  compositional heterogeneity

CI                    confidence interval

CLT                central limit theorem

cm                  centimeter

cm2                centimeters squared

cm3                centimeters cubed

CMIST            U.S. Army Corps of Engineers multi-increment sampling tool

COC               chemical of concern (or contaminants of concern)

COI                 chemical of interest

COPC              chemical of potential concern

CRA               contingency reserve area

CRREL            U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

CSM               conceptual site model

CV                  coefficient of variation

d                      diameter

df                    degrees of freedom

DGR               Dangerous Goods Regulations

DH                  distributional heterogeneity

DHHL             Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

DHS                U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DLNR             State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

DNT                dinitrotoluene

DOD               U.S. Department of Defense

DOE               U.S. Department of Energy

DQO               data quality objective

DTSC              California Department of Toxic Substances

DU                  decision unit

DUA                data usability assessment

EE                    extraction error

ECOS             Environmental Council of the States

EDQW            Environmental Data Quality Working Group

ELAP              Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program

EPC                  exposure point concentration

ERIS               Environmental Research Institute of the States

ESTCP             Environmental Security Technology Certification Program

EU                   exposure unit

EUa                 exposure unit for adults

EUc                 exposure unit for children

FDA                U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDEP              Florida Department of Environmental Protection

FE                   fundamental error

FOT                fields of testing

ft2                   square feet

g                      gram

GIS                 geographic information system

GM                 geometric mean

GNSS              global navigation satellite system

GPS                Global Positioning System

GSD                geometric standard deviation

GSE                grouping and segregation error

H0                   null or baseline hypothesis

H1                   alternate hypothesis

HDOH            Hawaii Department of Health

HMX              octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine

IA                   investigation area

IATA              International Air Transport Association

IBT                 internet-based training

IDQTF            Intergovernmental Data Quality Task Force

IS                    incremental sample (or incremental sampling)

ISM                Incremental Sampling Methodology

ISO                 International Organization for Standardization

ITRC               Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council

KM                 Kaplan-Meier

LCL                lower confidence limit

LCS                laboratory control sample (or laboratory control spike)

LDR                Land Disposal Restrictions

LORAN          Long Range Navigation

LUST              leaking underground storage tank

M                    maps

MARLAP       Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory Analytical Protocols Manual

MDL               method detection limit

MEDEP          Maine Department of Environmental Protection

mg/kg             milligram per kilogram

MI                   multiple increment

mm                 millimeter

mm Hg           millimeter mercury vapor pressure

MMRP            Military Munitions Response Program

MPC               measurement performance criteria

MQO              measurement quality objective

Ms                   mass of the collected sample

MS                  matrix spike

MSD               matrix spike duplicate

n                      number of increments or sample size

NAEG            Nevada Applied Ecology Group

nCi                  nanocurie

ND                  non-detect

NELAP           National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program

N&E DU        nature and extent decision unit

NIST               U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology

NRC               Nuclear Regulatory Commission

OCP                organochlorine pesticides

OLEM            Office of Local Environmental Management

ORD               USEPA Office of Research and Development

OSWER          Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

oz                    ounce

PAH                polyaromatic hydrocarbon

PAL                project action level

Pb                   lead

PCB                polychlorinated biphenyl

PCP                pentachlorophenol

PD                  probability distribution

PETN             pentaerythritol tetranitrate

PFAS              per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

PHC               petroleum hydrocarbons

PID                photo-ionization detector

ppm              parts per million

PNNL            Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

ProUCL         USEPA statistical software package for analysis of environmental datasets

QA                 quality assurance

QAPP            quality assurance project plan

QC                 quality control

QSM              Quality Systems Manual

r                     replicates

RAG               Remedial Action Guideline or Risk Assessment Guidance

RCRA             Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RDX               1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine

RL                  reporting limit

RPD               relative percent difference

RSD               relative standard deviation

Sb                  antimony

SD                 standard deviation

SE                 sampling error (or standard error)

SIM              selective ion monitoring

SMD             scrap metal dump

SOP              standard operating procedure

SPP              systematic planning process

sqrt             square root

SRM            standard reference manual

SU               sampling unit

SVOC          semi-volatile organic compound

TAG             technical assistance grantee

TCEQ          Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

TCLP           Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure

TGM            Technical Guidance Manual

TOS              theory of sampling

TPP              technical project planning

t-UCL           Student’s-t

µ                   population mean

UCL              upper confidence limit

UFP-QAPP   uniform federal policy for quality assurance project plans

UPL              upper prediction limits

USACE         U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USDA           U.S. Department of Agriculture

USEPA         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

UTL              upper tolerance limit

UV                ultraviolet

VOC              volatile organic compound

VSP               Visual Sample Plan

WP                work plan XRF    X-ray fluorescence

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