Use of Expert Systems for Water Monitoring

1. Use of Expert SystemsforWater Monitoring Larry Keith Instant Reference Sources, Inc. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

2. NEMI and NEMI-CBR • The National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) is a database of methods applicable for monitoring water for chemical and microbiological pollutants. • Online searches at www.nemi.gov • Endorsed by ACWI in 2001 • NEMI-CBR is a database of methods applicable for anti-terrorism use with chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) agents. • Password protected secure database uses NEMI algorithms to save time and money. • Expert systems have been developed to help support the use of both databases. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

3. What is an Expert System? • An expert system is an interactive computer program that incorporates the knowledge of one or more people into a series of decision trees so that answers (as advice) to specific questions are the same ones that a human would give. • Advantages include: • Help and advice when a human expert isn’t available • Answers are consistent (versus human answers) • Ensures that all important factors are considered so that none are forgotten during decision making • Get right to answers needed quickly and efficiently Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

4. Water Monitoring Expert Systems • Two expert systems for water quality monitoring have been produced: • Environmental Monitoring and Measurement Advisor (EMMA) - produced in 2002 under a NSF SBIR grant. • Supports the National Environmental Monitoring Index (NEMI) • 3 modules: 1 Planning What, When, Where, & How; 2 Selecting best method(s); 3 Calculates numbers of samples needed • NSF grant required a commercial product but the second module is free to use at www.EMMA-expertsystem.com • EPA and USGS implementing a CRADA with the developer • EPA’s Water Anti-Terrorism Expert Response (WATER) • Support to NEMI-CBR database of methods for anti-terrorism • Planning for Methods Selection, Site Entry and Water Sampling Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

5. Why WATER is Needed • Methods for each kind of agent (chemical, biological or radiological) vary greatly from each other by sample collection techniques, sample preparation, instruments used for analysis, and analytical protocols (i.e., methods). • Public and/or private labs, utility and lab managers are not often familiar with CBR methods and the special protocols, requirements, and dangers that CBR samples pose. • Two scenarios are possible and both must be covered: • First - selecting the best methods for typical monitoring and/or analyte or organism confirmation. • Second - selecting the best methods for an emergency situation where the identity of the suspect analyte or organism may or may not be known. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

6. How WATER Supports NEMI-CBR • Used for planning and training as well as supporting searches for best methods • Provides advice, information, report forms, etc. for special procedures involving initial evaluations, pre-entry activities, sample planning, sampling, and sample packaging and shipping when CBR agents may be present in water samples. • Recommends methods appropriate for emergency use or for monitoring and confirmation of target analytes and, just as importantly, recommends when particular methods in the NEMI-CBR database are not appropriate for a specific use. • Provides advice and information for finding methods when analytes are not known in an emergency. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

7. Three “Planes” of Information • The top level "Executive/Emergency Plane" • Gives the user advice and answers for his or her specific needs as quickly as possible. • The second level "Educational Plane" • Provides explanations and ancillary information to help users to understand what is being asked of them, why it is being asked, and what the consequences of their actions may be. • The third level "Research Plane" • Reached by internal and external hyperlinks from the second plane - contains extensive in-depth discussions and links to other web sites such as those of US EPA, CDC, CIA, USGS, etc. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

8. Planes of Information Illustrated Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

9. Dual-Screen Viewing • Special programming is used to provide two “frames” for viewing the expert system. • The expert system question and answer software appears in a left screen frame. • It drives a particular project planning or training session though its questions and “decision trees” that provide advice and answers. • Associated with each question is information on what, why, when, where, how, etc. in the right screen frame. Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

10. Example of Dual Screen Use Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003 Expert System Side Explanation Box Side

11. WATER and NEMI-CBR are Complimentary WATER - Designing Monitoring Projects Based on Objectives, Site Situation, Time Frame, and Use (Planning, Training, or Method Selection). NEMI - CBR Method Selection Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

12. Expert Systems for Monitoring Framework Areas Areas Currently Partly Covered by EMMA and/or WATER Areas Remaining to be Covered Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

13. How Expert Systems Could Support Water Monitoring • Incorporate the algorithms already developed from NSF and EPA funding into a comprehensive expert system used for planning, training, and execution of water monitoring projects. • Special features would include dual screen viewing and multi-level depth of information given as a user desires • Development would incorporate knowledge of experts versed in many areas for multi analytes and organisms • Product would cover all areas of the Water Quality Monitoring Framework Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

14. Advantages of Developing an Expert System for Water Monitoring Projects • Product would be freely available from an Internet site • Product would facilitate consistant and comparable dataquality across many different organizations and programs • Updates and information expansion easily accomodated • All important factors in planning and executing a project would be considered and documented • More cost-effective project plans would result • Project plans would always fit available budgets • Help would be available when experts are not • Training would be facilitated using built-in links and forms Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003

15. Demonstration EPA’s WATER Expert System will be demonstrated Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)Herndon, VA September 9, 2003