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NAWQA Program

Compilation of Retrospective Data on Volatile Organic Compounds in Ground Water to Supplement VOC Data Collected by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Program

From about 1995-2000, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program compiled a retrospective data set of analyses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water. The purpose of this compilation was to supplement VOC data collected by NAWQA to answer questions of national and regional concern regarding the occurrence, status, and distribution of VOCs in ground water. Supplemental data were needed because NAWQA data either were not available for the area of interest at the time of the compilation or because NAWQA was not planning to collect data for that area. The retrospective data were compiled from other Federal, State and local monitoring programs. VOC analyses from about 5,320 wells were compiled, including available supporting information about each well. The ability to successfully answer national or regional questions about the occurrence, distribution and status of VOCs in ground water requires data that have been collected in a consistent way throughout the geographic area of interest. Therefore, an important aspect of the retrospective compilation was selection of data that were collected in the same way that the NAWQA data are collected. Consistency considerations included all aspects of water-quality monitoring: well-network design, well construction, sample-collection methods, and methods of laboratory analysis.

For additional information about this compilation please contact:

Wayne Lapham
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 413
Reston, VA 20192
703-648-5805
wlapham@usgs.gov

Products

Products from this retrospective effort include: (1) guidance for compiling the retrospective data, including the criteria for data selection (Lapham and Tadayon, 1996; Lapham and others, 1997); (2) the retrospective data set; (3) characterization of the retrospective data and analysis of data suitability for occurrence assessment (Lapham, Moran and Zogorski, 1998; Lapham, Moran and Zogorski, 2000); and (4) inclusion of these data in national assessments of the occurrence, status, and distribution of VOCs in ground water.

Reports

Lapham, W.W., and Tadayon, Saeid, 1996, Plan for assessment of the occurrence, status, and distribution of volatile organic compounds U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report, OFR 96-199, 44 p.

Lapham, W.W., Neitzert, K.M., Moran, M.J., and Zogorski, J.S., 1997, USGS compiles data set for national assessment of VOCs in ground water: Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation, Fall, p. 147-157.

Lapham, W. W., Moran, M.J., and Zogorski, J.S., 1998, Enhancements of non-point monitoring programs to assess volatile organic compounds in the Nation's ground water: in Proceedings of the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference on Monitoring: Critical Foundations to Protect Our Waters, July 7-9, 1998, Reno, NV, pp III-371 - III-381.

Lapham, W.W., Moran, M.J., and Zogorski, J.S., 2000, Enhancements of nonpoint source monitoring of volatile organic compounds in ground water:  The American Water Resources Association, v. 36, no. 6, p. 1321-1334. (pdf version) pdf file

Data Set

View map of well network locations.pdf file Points shown represent the approximate centroid of well networks.

Download zipped tab-delimited data file (0.26 MB) with header information. Questions about this data file can be direct to Mike Moran mjmoran.


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