DATABASE DOCUMENTATION

This section, called the data dictionary, documents or rather provides information concerning the data in the database. The file name to run this database is called enviro.wb2. Quattro Pro for Windows was utilized to create the database. Collectively, this database consists of eight separate files that were linked together to develop one large file. Each file represents an industry, whether it is a municipal treatment plant or an industrial factory. In turn, each of the files is placed in separate folders that are labeled accordingly and color coded. What follows next is a detailed portrayal of the attributes (A.K.A., column headings, fields), tuples (A.K.A., rows, records), and file names.

Slave File Name: MTP_A (Municipal Treatment Plant A)
Maximum Number of Rows: 94
Number of Fields: 14

• Field 1: Parameter. This describes the different compounds, flow rates, and test methods (BOD5 and TSS) used to analyze and obtain the influent and effluent concentrations of a municipal treatment plant.
• Fields 2-13: Apr'94-Mar'95. These are the monthly average values of the influent and effluent parameters. They are given in units of mg/L or MGD. Some of the numerical values contain a footnote like U, B, or J. The letter U means an analysis of the compound but was undetected. Meanwhile, the letter B signifies a compound found in the associated blank. Lastly, the letter J indicates that a compound was found below the minimum detectable level.
• Field 14: Yearly Average. This is the arithmetic mean of all of the numerical values ranging from April 1994 to March 1995.

The next five metadata describes the files MTP_B through MTP_F. All have similar features only differing in the influent and effluent values. Therefore, the ensuing description will apply to all of the files.

Slave File Name: MTP_B
Slave File Name: MTP_C
Slave File Name: MTP_D
Slave File Name: MTP_E
Slave File Name: MTP_F
Maximum Number of Rows: 54
Number of Fields: 14

• Field 1: Parameters. This describes the varying nutrients, compounds, and flow rates of the influent and effluent stream of a municipal treatment centers.
• Fields 2-13: Apr'94-Mar'95. These are the monthly average values of the influent and effluent parameters. They are given in units of mg/L or MGD.
• Field 14: Yearly Average. This is the arithmetic mean of all of the numerical values ranging from April 1994 to March 1995.

Slave File Name: Electrochem
Maximum Number of Rows: 62
Number of Fields: 9

• Field 1: Date. This represents the time frequency in acquiring the influent and effluent concentrations of an electrochemical industry. The dates range over a three month period from October to December of 1995.
• Field 2: Cr. This parameter indicates the total chromium presence in the influent and effluent streams. Note that the units are in �g/L.
• Field 3: Cu. This parameter indicates the copper presence in the influent and effluent streams. Note that the units are in �g/L. Moreover, the influent and effluent copper concentrations are less than 4 �g/L.
• Field 4: As. This parameter indicates the arsenic appearance in the influent and effluent streams. Note that the units are in �g/L. Some of the values are less than 2 �g/L.
• Field 5: Benzene. This value signifies the benzene concentration in the influent and effluent streams. As usual, the units are in �g/L.
• Field 6: Ethyl Benzene. This number denotes the ethyl benzene concentration in the influent and effluent streams. As usual, the units are in �g/L.
• Field 7: Toluene. This figure marks the toluene concentration in the influent and effluent streams. As usual, the units are in �g/L.
• Field 8: Xylene. The influent and effluent concentrations of xylene are represented by this column. The units are given as �g/L.
• Field 9: TPH. This is short for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons. It is a generalized column that contains the influent and effluent concentration levels of other hydrocarbons used such as oils and gases. Units are in �g/L.
• Field 10: Cr+6. This is a special column that is relevant only to the effluent concentration. It indicates the hexavalent chromium concentration. The units are in �g/L.

Slave File Name: Pharm
Maximum Number of Rows: 93
Number of Fields: 5

• Field 1: Date. This describes the time period when an analysis of the effluent stream of a pharmaceutical plant was attained. It ranges over a year long period from January 1994 to January 1995.
• Field 2: O&G. This is the total Oil and Grease representation of the effluent stream. The units are in mg/L.
• Field 3: PHC. This section indicates the Petroleum Hydrocarbons detected in the effluent stream. Units are in mg/L.
• Field 4: TSS. This is a measure of the Total Suspended Solids concentration in the effluent. The symbol N/A (Not Applicable) is predominant since this analysis was not obtained in a regular basis. Units are in mg/L.
• Field 5: BOD5. This attribute represents the 5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand. It is a measurement of how much oxygen is consumed by bacteria through aerobic processes. A lot of the records indicate N/A meaning that this assessment was not often acquired. The units are in mg/L.

Slave File Name: Battery
Maximum Number of Rows: 26
Number of Fields: 5

• Field 1: Parameters. This provides a listing of all the compounds tested and analyzed including parameters such as COD, TSS, and heavy metals. This only includes the influent stream.
• Field 2: Time Period A. This gives the numerical information pertinent for each parameter tested within this time frame (July-September 1995). Again, this only involves the influent stream.
• Field 3: Parameters. This attribute is the same as Field 1 except it also includes the flow rate and only deals with the effluent stream.
• Field 4: Time Period B. The quantitative data from April-June 1996 is included in this column for the effluent stream.
• Field 5: Time Period C. Numerical values of the parameters are listed within this monitoring period of January-March 1996. This only consists of the effluent stream.

The next set of metadata is for the safety information. Most of the description in each field is obtained from NIOSH.

Slave File Name: Safety_Stuff
Maximum Number of Rows: 121
Number of Fields: 9

• Field 1: Compounds. This represents all of the substances that are present in this database. The types of compounds range from heavy metals to organic chemicals.
• Field 2: NIOSH. This is the recommended exposure limit (REL) set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). Unless noted, the RELs are time weighted average (TWA) concentrations for up to a 10-hour workday during a 40-hour workweek. A short-term exposure limit (STEL) is designated by "ST" preceding the value; unless noted otherwise, the STEL is a 15-minute TWA exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during a workday. A ceiling REL is designated by "C" preceding the value; unless noted otherwise, the ceiling value should not be exceeded any time. Any substance considered to be a potential carcinogen is labeled with "Ca". Concentrations are given in ppm, mg/m3, or mppcf (millions of particles per cubic foot of air as determined from counting an impinger sample). [NIOSH]
• Field 3: OSHA. The exposure limits set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is given in this column. Unless otherwise noted, the permissible exposure limits (PEL) are TWA concentrations that must not be exceeded during any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour workweek. A STEL is designated by "ST" preceding the value and is measured over a 15-minute period unless otherwise noted. OSHA ceiling values, designated as "C", must not be exceeded during any part of the workday; if instantaneous monitoring is not feasible, the ceiling must be assessed as a 15-minute TWA exposure. Concentrations are given in ppm, mg/m3, or mppcf (millions of particles per cubic foot of air as determined from counting an impinger sample). [NIOSH]
• Field 4: IDLH. This is an acronym for the Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health concentrations. The values given are meant to provide the worker the concentration that will immediately pose a harmful, life threatening situation. It is defined as a condition that poses a threat of exposure to airborne contaminants when that exposure is likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from such an environment. The purpose of IDLH is to ensure that the worker can escape from a given contaminated environment in the event of failure of the respiratory protection equipment. To be considered as an IDLH, the atmospheric concentration is greater than 2,000 times the NIOSH REL or OSHA PEL. These values are based on a 30-minute exposure to a substance. However, the 30-minute period was not meant to imply that workers should stay in the work environment any longer than necessary. In fact, every effort should be made to exit immediately. "N.D." indicates that an IDLH has not yet been determined. Carcinogens are designated with "Ca." Concentrations are given in ppm, mg/m3, or mppcf (millions of particles per cubic foot of air as determined from counting an impinger sample). [NIOSH]
• Field 5: Route. This illustrates the different ways the substance can penetrate the body. They are ingestion (Ig), inhalation (Ih), skin and/or eye contact (Co), and skin absorption (Ab).
• Field 6: Symptoms. This section shows the potential symptoms of exposure to compounds.
• Field 7: Target Organs. This portrays the affected organs attacked from an overexposure to the substance. Most of the data are obtained from animal test or in some cases, human guinea pigs.
• Field 8: Specific Gravity. The specific gravity is the ratio of the density of the substance to the density ref of a reference substance at a specific condition. For this case, the specific gravity of the substance is at 68�F referenced to water at 39.2�F. The specific gravity applied only to liquid and solid substances. If you are given the specific gravity of a substance , multiply it by the reference density to get the density of the substance in the same units. Water, the reference density, has the following conversion density factors:

  a) ref (H2O, 39.2�F) = 1.000 g/cm3
  = 1000 kg/m3
  = 62.43 lbm/ft3

• Field 9: Flash Point. The flash point is the temperature at which the liquid phase gives off enough vapor to flash when exposed to an external ignition source. Closed cup is labeled as "cc" while open cup is designated as "oc." The temperature units are in �F. A designation of NA means that the data is not available.

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Last Updated: 9/6/96
Analyst/Contact: Tristan Baccay

E-Mail Address: [email protected]