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ProUCL Software

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Statistical Software ProUCL 4.1.00 for Environmental Applications for Data Sets with and without Nondetect Observations

ProUCL version 4.1.00 is the latest update of the ProUCL statistical software package for analysis of environmental data sets with and without nondetect (ND) observations. ProUCL version 4.1.00 is a comprehensive statistical software package with statistical methods and graphical tools to address many environmental sampling and statistical issues.

Two New Modules in ProUCL 4.1.00 (ANOVA and Trend Tests): The ANOVA module has classical and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis Oneway ANOVA tests used to compare concentrations of more than two groups such as to perform inter-well comparisons. The Trend Tests module has linear ordinary least squares (OLS) regression method, Mann-Kendall trend test, Theil-Sen trend test, and time series plots often used to identify trends (e.g., upward and downward) in contaminant concentrations such as in groundwater monitoring applications.

The Number of Samples module has user-friendly options to enter the desired decision parameters (e.g., Type I and Type II error rates) needed to compute data quality objectives (DQOs) based minimum sample sizes for estimation of mean, single and two sample hypothesis testing approaches, and acceptance sampling of lots consisting of discrete objects (e.g., a lot of drums consisting of hazardous waste). Both parametric (e.g., t-tests) and nonparametric (Sign and WMW tests, test for proportions) sample size determination methods are included.

ProUCL 4.1.00 has goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests for normal, lognormal, and gamma distributions for data sets with and without ND observations. ProUCL 4.1.00 has parametric and nonparametric methods to compute decision making statistics including: upper confidence limits (UCLs) of mean, percentiles, upper prediction limits (UPLs) for future k (=1) observations, and upper tolerance limits (UTLs) for uncensored full data sets and left-censored data sets consisting of NDs with multiple detection limits. In addition to simple substitution methods (e.g., DL/2, DL,0), Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Regression on Order Statistics (ROS) methods are also available in ProUCL. Capability is also provided to compute UCLs, percentiles, UPLs for future k (=1) observations, and UTLs based upon gamma distributed data sets.

ProUCL4.1.00 has single sample (t-test, Sign test and test for proportions) and two sample (t-test, Wilcoxon Rank Sum (WRS) test, Gehan test, and Quantile test) hypotheses testing approaches for both uncensored data sets and for data sets consisting of NDs.

Please note that ProUCL was developed under the umbrella comprehensive statistical software package, Scout. The Scout 2008 software program contains the methods in ProUCL as well as other sophisticated methods for a more comprehensive or exploratory statistical analysis of censored or uncensored data (including full intervals). The latest version of Scout 2008 is available at: http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/databases/datahome.htm.

References

USEPA, 1989a. Methods for Evaluating the Attainment of Cleanup Standards, Vol. 1, Soils and Solid Media, EPA 230/2-89/042.

USEPA, 1989b. Statistical Analysis of Ground-water Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities, Interim Final Guidance. Washington, DC: Office of Solid Waste. April 1989.

USEPA, 1992. Statistical Analysis of Ground-water Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities, Addendum to Interim Final Guidance. Washington DC: Office of Solid Waste. July 1992.

USEPA, 1996. Soil Screening Guidance: User's Guide. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Washington D.C. EPA/540/R-96/018. April 1996.

USEPA et al., 2000. Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM), Revision 1. EPA/402/R-97/016. Available at http://www.epa.gov/radiation/marssim/ or http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ (GPO Stock Number for Revision 1 is 052-020-00814-1).

USEPA, 2002a. Guidance for Comparing Background and Chemical Concentrations in Soil for CERCLA Sites. EPA 540-R-01-003-OSWER 9285.7-41. September 2002.

USEPA, 2002b. Calculating Upper Confidence Limits for Exposure Point concentrations at Hazardous Waste Sites. OSWER 9285.6-10. December 2002.

USEPA, 2002c. RCRA Waste Sampling, Draft Technical Guidance – Planning, Implementation and Assessment. EPA/530/D-02/002.

ProUCL 3.0. (2004). A Statistical Software. National Exposure Research Lab, EPA, Las Vegas Nevada, October 2004.

USEPA. 2006. Data Quality Assessment: Statistical Methods for Practitioners, EPA QA/G-9S. EPA/240/B-06/003. Office of Environmental Information, Washington, D.C.
Download from: http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/g9s-final.pdf (PDF, 198pp., 2.4MB)

A. Singh, On the Computation of a 95% Upper Confidence Limit of the Unknown Population Mean Based Upon Data Sets with Below Detection Limit Observations, J.M. Nocerino, editor. EPA/600/R-06/022 March, 2006.

USEPA, 2009. Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities, Unified Guidance Document (UGD). EPA/530/R-09/007.

User Guide for ProUCL 4.1 (PDF, 284pp., 7.1MB)

Technical Guide for ProUCL 4.1 (PDF, 282pp., 4.2MB)

Training for ProUCL

Two archived webinars, each three hours long, are available.

Contact Information for ProUCL

The ProUCL software is developed under the direction of the Technical Support Center (TSC). As of November 2007, the direction of the TSC was transferred from Brian Schumacher to Felicia Barnett. Therefore, any comments or questions concerning ProUCL should be addressed to:

Felicia Barnett (STL)
US EPA, Region 4
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA   30303-8960
barnett.felicia@epa.gov
(404) 562-8659   phone
(404) 562-8439   fax

Installation Instructions

  1. Open Windows Explorer and create a new directory called ProUCL 4.1

  2. Download (save) the ProUCL 4.1 zipped files (setup.zip) to the ProUCL 4.1 directory.

  3. Use Winzip (or equivalent, e.g., EasyZip) to extract all of the files in the ProUCL directory.

  4. Using Windows Explorer, right-click on the ProUCL 4.1 main directory and make sure that the read-only attribute is off.

  5. Using Windows Explorer, create a shortcut (optional) by right-clicking on the unzipped file, ProUCL.exe (application), in the ProUCL directory and drag the shortcut to the desktop (optional: rename to ProUCL 4.1).

  6. Using Windows Explorer, start ProUCL 4.1 by left double-clicking on the unzipped file, ProUCL.exe (application), in the ProUCL 4.1 directory, or by left double-clicking on the ProUCL 4.1 shortcut, or use the RUN command from the Start Menu to locate and run ProUCL.exe.

  7. Try to open an example file in the ProUCL 4.1 sub-directory, Data. If the file does not open, be sure that the read-only attribute is off (right-click on the Data sub-directory).

  8. If the computer does not have .NET Framework 1.1 installed (either a pre-2002 Windows operating system or a late version of Windows XP), then it will be necessary for the end user to download it from Microsoft. A Google search for "NET Framework 1.1" will yield several download locations. (Also available upon download of ProUCL 4.1 for your convenience.)

Minimum Hardware Requirements

Software Downloads

Version 4.1.01, updated 7/12/11:   setup_v41.zip (ZIP, 50.6MB)   (Please follow the instructions above.)

Documentation for current and past versions of ProUCL


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