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Trade-off Tool for Sampling (TOTS) v4.0.0
Citation:
Boe, T., W. Calfee, S. Serre, C. Schwind, AND M. Rodgers. Trade-off Tool for Sampling (TOTS) v4.0.0. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2025.
Impact/Purpose:
A large-scale release of a biological or radiological (BR) agent can result in contamination of a wide area and would require significant time and resources for recovery. Many unknowns are associated with characterization and clearance sampling during response to a wide-area BR incident. To better understand the impacts sampling designs can have on the resource demand, especially when considering large-scale sampling campaigns, EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) developed the Trade-Off Tool for Sampling (TOTS). TOTS currently addresses biological contamination sampling and will cover other agents in the future. TOTS allows users to create sampling designs and estimate the associated resource demand through interactive, point-and-click tools to visually develop sampling plans. Users can plot sample locations in conjunction with externally developed indoor or outdoor imagery that can be imported into the tool. Based on the plans designed, TOTS estimates the total time and cost necessary for implementation, which includes sampling kit preparation, conducting the sampling campaign, and lab analysis. The resulting sample plan can be used to consider trade-offs in one’s sampling design (i.e., cost-benefit analysis), alternate sampling approaches (i.e., traditional vs. innovative sampling methods), and sampling coverage.
Description:
3D Sample Design: Current sample design tools utilize a 2D (top-down) approach for designing and implementing the placement of samples. This causes a disconnect between where the sample was intended to be collected vs what is shown on a 2D display or map. Furthermore, these designs lack consideration to vertical spaces and potentially introduce a significant amount of error to the prescribed confidence level (due to vertical space being unaccounted for). This effort proposes modifying an existing platform (such as the Trade-off Tool for Sampling) to enable functionality for creating or importing 3D environments (3D CAD drawings or LiDAR). The system will be capable of taking 3D designs into consideration when developing probabilistic or targeted sampling plans (the user will be able to use a “point and click” interface to place a sample over a vertical or horizontal space). When complete, these designs can be transitioned into a data acquisition tool such as Field Maps where users can see 2D/3D versions of their sample design.