NEMI: National Environmental Methods Index
Project Number: 9KM19, 9KM39
Project Chief: Dan Sullivan
Project Topics: methods
Cooperators: U.S. Geological Survey; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Period of Project: 2003 – Continuing
Website: NEMI.gov
Summary
NEMI is a clearinghouse of environmental monitoring methods. The NEMI database contains method summaries of field and lab protocols for regulatory and non-regulatory water-quality analyses. It is searchable over the World Wide Web (http://www.nemi.gov/), and provides up-to-date methods information through a standard Internet connection and browser.
Problem
Many regulatory and non-regulatory water-quality monitoring programs specify the methodology to be used in analyzing water samples. Although this provides each monitoring program with a measure of comparability, there has been virtually no consistency of methods between programs. This program-specific approach to water-quality monitoring inappropriately and inefficiently increases the demands on limited resources while reducing the utility of water-quality information available.
Objectives
The selection of analytical methods is a critical component of the planning process for environmental monitoring programs. With NEMI you can compare methods at a glance and find the method that best meets your needs. NEMI also allows you to use and share monitoring data among different agencies, using different methods at different times.
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