Database management and data processes of environmental observations

Abstract

It has become increasingly pressing to build a database managing environmental observations for common media, e.g., water, soil and waste streams. Such management enables samples collected in a single domain and characterized in a succinct and straightforward means. An MS-Access based database is described in this paper to demonstrate a robust manner informatively managing environmental observations. The database includes typical functions that a database processes, e.g., data entering, browsing, and filtering, and spans a range of analytes which are regulated in common environmental regulations. The database forms a platform featuring the storage, retrieval, input & output of environmental observations. Besides the data management, processes of observation data are presented as well, including the data characteristics, distributions, challenges and methods. Many illustrations are presented to depict the database uses and data processes. The contents help build a prospective tool kit favoring regulatory authorities, env-statisticians, characterization and remediation professionals in environmental communities. Use of the tool kit would eventually improve the regulatory compliance procedure and environmental impact assessment of any environmental medium, and thus play a role in decision-making about the medium's destination.