Environmental data is normally reported from laboratories in units per volume or units per mass (ie mg/L or ug/kg). However HiVol and Dust deposition data is different in that labs often report the results in units per sample (ie mg per sample). The concentration then needs to be calculated from this data by considering the flow rate/duration, or sampling area/duration. This is typically beyond the scope of environmental data management systems and so needs to be done manually either before import, or every time the data is output.
With the release of version 4.2 ESdat is now able to import the raw lab data in the lab units, and automatically calculate the concentration using parameters which can be entered by the user prior to receiving the lab data. This means that no manual alteration is needed to the data prior to import, nor is it needed every time you need an output. The data can be immediately graphed and directly compared against regulatory requirements.
This functionality is particularly useful for mine-sites where ongoing sampling of this nature can consume large amounts of staff time in data management. Typically, users of ESdat report a time saving of 40% or greater when using it for data management and analysis, as compared with other methods, such as Excel.