Test

1. The most important reason to maintain an ethical environment in the analytical laboratory is:
It is a requirement of NELAP accreditation.
It must be provided as a formal part of employee orientation.
Companies must maintain evidence that employees understand their personal and legal responsibilities.
The daily activities of employees in environmental laboratories effect public health and the environment.

2. Ethics is NOT:
A set of beliefs held by individuals.
Beliefs supported by societal structure.
Beliefs supported to obtain a perceived good.
A behavior.

3. Environmental laboratory analysts need to believe that we are the guardians of our natural resources:
True
False

4. Who is recognized as the first person to call for new policies to protect human health and the environment?
Richard Nixon
William Ruckelshaus
Rachel Carson
John Nelson

5. In what year did the EPA issue the first wastewater permits?
1970
1973
1990
1980

6. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies maximum levels of drinking water contaminants and monitoring requirements for:
Public water supplies.
Private wells.
The petroleum industry.
The chemical manufacturing industry.

7. Which of the following was NOT a major environmental disaster?
Three Mile Island
Love Canal
Times Beach
Teton Ridge

8. What act provides funds to help clean up thousands of abandoned hazardous waste dumpsites across the country?
RCRA
SDWA
CWA
CERCLA

9. The Safe Drinking Water Act primarily utilizes what methodology "series"?
EPA 600 "series" methods
SW846 Method 8000 "series"
EPA Method 500 "series"
EPA Method 400 "series"

10. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976:
Controls handling and disposal of hazardous wastes generated mainly by industry.
Identified and published a list of hazardous wastes.
Set standards for handling, transportation, and disposal of wastes.
All of the above.

11. We are not all responsible for the success of the environmental program in the United States.
True
False

12. A scientifically unsound or technically unjustified omission, alteration, or manipulation of analytical procedures or data is called:
Improper behavior or practice
Theory
Hypothesis
Data Authenticity

13. If the results of fraudulent analyses in the laboratory are sent through the US Mail or by a commercial interstate carrier the legal charge is:
Wire fraud
Attempting to defraud the US.
Mail fraud
Espionage

14. Environmental conditions, personal conditions, and management conditions are all important in:
The cultivation of good habits.
The cultivation of bad habits.
Ethical behavior.
All of the above.

15. One environmental condition that cultivates bad habits is:
Shrinking market resulting in focus on production over quality.
Attentiveness, responsibility.
Ability to confront failure and unpleasant situations.
Honesty.

16. One personal condition that cultivates bad habits is:
Wearing jeans to work.
Corporate purchasing policies.
Laboratory hours of operation.
Ambition without ethics or respect for truth.

17. One management condition that cultivates bad habits is:
Ineffective oversight of personal timesheets.
Relying on ultimatums (threatening, fear, arrogance).
Overuse of the company telephone.
Leaving work early every day.

18. The "Bad Habit" of "fabrication" in a laboratory may include (check all that apply):
Create data for an analysis that was not performed.
Create information for a sample that was not collected.
Properly documenting subcontract data.
Cut and paste data into reports or data that are not true.

19. The "Bad Habit" of "Misrepresentation" in a laboratory may include (check all that apply):
Pretend that QC samples were digested or extracted when they haven’t been.
Add surrogates into samples after sample extraction unless specifically called for by the method.
Proper documentation and log-in of field samples.
Report post digested QC as pre-digested.

20. The following are all examples of bad habits NOT to cultivate except:
Improper date/time setting.
Improper peak integration.
Manipulation of calibration data.
Data file substitution or modification.
Development of a strong ethics policy.
Deletion of non-compliant data.
Unwarranted software manipulation.
Concealment of a known problem.

21. "Bad Habit" prevention fundamentals must include the following (check all that apply):
Training of all employees.
Creation of an atmosphere where problems are hidden.
Routine inspection of data.
Implementation of strong quality and data integrity systems.

22. Which of the following are some prevention and detection strategies that will improve the quality program in laboratories (check all that apply)?
Double blind PTs.
Cross training.
Ethics refresher training for all employees.
Clearly define stop work authority for all staff.
Have detailed up-to-date SOPs.

23. Which of the following pressure release processes should be frequently communicated to employees (check all that apply)?
Report narrative.
Stop work authority.
Data integrity line available to staff (larger laboratories).
Data recall notification process.
Up-to-date SOPs.
Good documentation and record keeping practices.