Monitoring Program Design - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 316

are provided. There are good examples for these manuals, such as the OSPAR and
HELCOM guidelines. 7-9
Quality assurance, particularly in the case of international programs, is absolutely
necessary for accuracy of data as well as for their comparability. It includes in-house
quality assurance procedures (within a laboratory) as well as external procedures
(between laboratories). There has been significant quality assurance procedure devel-
opment activity within commissions such as ICES, HELCOM, and OSPAR as well
as within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the EU (within the
context of the Quality Assurance of Sample Handling [QUASH] program). Many
programs have also been developed in the environmental protection agencies of the
U.S. and Canada as well as on an international basis through regional commissions.
Only verified and quality-assured data should be stored in data banks, as
explained below. Data obtained from field measurements should usually be supported
by a number of additional/fixed parameters, which usually are necessary for proper
interpretation of the indicated data.

7.3.2 D ATA F ORMATS AND D ATA B ANKING

Data formats are usually developed for data banking as well as to ensure that all
important information to correctly interpret the data is noted. Apart from the desired
data, additional information, e.g., on specific locations, meteorological conditions,
etc., is needed for proper interpretation of data.
Generating data is an expensive and time-consuming procedure; therefore, par-
ticular attention should be paid to data collection and storage. Results of measure-
ments carried out by different laboratories should be standardized according to
previously agreed formats. Data banking should, in fact, only be undertaken in cases
when comparability of data is assured. Ideally only certified laboratories should take
part in a monitoring program.
The following additional information needs to be provided together with data:

• Coordinates of sampling place
• Type of sample
• Methods of sampling
• Methods of pretreatment
• Methods of preservation
• Methods of analyses (possible deviation from the manual)
• Limit of detection
• Quality assurance information (internal and external)
• Equipment
• Conditions during sampling and analyses
• Others

Data bank verification is necessary prior to acceptance of data, to ensure that
proper procedures have been followed.