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A GIS Application for Developing Biological Sampling Designs and Estimating Resources Necessary for Implementation
Citation:
Boe, T., W. Calfee, S. Lee, L. Mickelsen, C. Hayes, AND M. Rodgers. A GIS Application for Developing Biological Sampling Designs and Estimating Resources Necessary for Implementation. EPA Decon Conference, Norfolk,VA, November 19 - 21, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
The EPA Decon Conference being held in Norfolk, VA on November 19th, 2019 . To better understand the impacts sampling designs can have on 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 is a GIS-based tool for developing sampling designs within ESRI’s ArcMap and estimating the associated resource demand.
Description:
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. The BR agent and its characteristics, the release mechanism, amount of contaminant released, and a plethora of environmental and meteorological factors are separate, yet interconnected processes that greatly influence the extent and level of contamination. Similarly, decisions related to the sampling strategy (i.e., sampling media, sampling area, spacing, etc.) will affect the cost, time, amount of waste generated, and personnel (i.e., resource demand) required to characterize and clear the contaminated area.