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PROUCL SOFTWARE




SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS

 * Version 5.2 (.msi) updated 6/14/22
 * User Guide (pdf) updated 6/14/22
 * Technical Guide (pdf) updated 6/14/22
 * Technical Guide Appendix D updated 6/14/22
 * Version 5.1 Setup (zip) (18.4 MB) updated 6/20/16
 * Version 4.0 Setup (zip) (50.7 MB)

 * About Version 5.2.00
 * References
 * Training
 * Contact
 * Installation
 * Hardware
 * Documentation


STATISTICAL SOFTWARE PROUCL 5.2 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS FOR DATA SETS
WITH AND WITHOUT NONDETECT OBSERVATIONS

Related Information

ProUCL Fact Sheet

ProUCL version 5.2.00 (5.2) is the latest update of the USEPA ProUCL statistical
software package for analysis of environmental data sets with and without
nondetect (ND) observations. ProUCL version 5.2 is a comprehensive statistical
software package with statistical methods and graphical tools to address many
environmental sampling and statistical issues. Version 5.2 is the latest version
of the software that has been updated to include improvements to the Technical
Guide and the User Guide for clarity, code updates to correct for reported bugs,
and several changes made to the decision logic for the recommendation of UCLs
for this version. The Technical Guide and Users Guide due to size are now
downloaded separately from the program.

Historically, ProUCL has placed emphasis on achieving adequate coverage, but not
on achieving an accurate estimate of the mean, in the sense of an upper bound
for the mean that is as close as possible to the true mean while maintaining the
desired coverage. Depending on the data, there are some UCL estimators in ProUCL
(particularly Chebyshev and H) that can generate gross overestimates of the mean
so that adequate coverage will almost certainly be achieved in these cases, but
accuracy suffers. Although this philosophy ensures that the likelihood of one
decision error will be small (i.e., Type I error, concluding a site is not
contaminated when it is), such an overestimate can result in a high likelihood
of the opposite decision error (i.e., Type II error, concluding a site is
contaminated when it is not). The objective should be to not only control for
Type I error, but also to protect against large Type II errors. This requires
balancing both objectives (coverage and accuracy) to select the most appropriate
UCL method. 

Citation: USEPA.  ProUCL: Statistical Software for Environmental Applications
for Data Sets with and without Nondetect Observations. Version 5.2.
https://www.epa.gov/land-research/proucl-software,  2022. 


UPDATED OPERATING SYSTEMS

ProUCL 5.2 is compatible with Microsoft Office 10.0 and 11, and represents an
upgrade of all previous versions of ProUCL. ProUCL 5.2 has been developed in
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 using the C# programming language. To provide
Excel-compatible Spreadsheet functionality, ProUCL uses GrapeCity Spread.NET 14;
and the development software package, ChartFX 8 for graphics. With the exception
of slight differences in graphical display, the look of ProUCL 5.2 is very
similar to version 5.1. Any differences are addressed in the User Guide. 

Code updates and corrections of reported software bugs: 

 * Added a space in between the ProUCL version number and date in the output.
 * Improved warning display about when the data pass only one of the two GOF
   tests to be more readable. 
 * Never recommend gamma or bootstrap UCLs when the sample size is less than 10.
 * Made the random seed constant so that bootstrap UCLs are reproducible. 
 * Standardized names for gamma UCLs. 
 * Added a flag for when the KM method may be inappropriate, which is set when
   any of the KM UCLs are less than the mean computed using half the DL. This
   can happen when there is an order-of-magnitude difference in DLs. 
 * Fixed UCL output in which the KM (t) UCL displayed a different value that the
   KM Student’s t-UCL. 
 * Monte Carlo Simulation Module that hasn’t been completely developed was
   removed. 
 * Removed the Jackknife UCL since it is numerically equivalent to the t-UCL. 
 * Fixed outlier test for n >500 such that the output informs the user the test
   is not available for large sample sizes, rather than displaying an incorrect
   result. 
 * Fixed nonparametric UTL output that recommended incorrect order statistics
   for various sample sizes. 
 * Fixed bug in which it was necessary to close Excel files before reopening
   them in 5.1. 
 * Fixed graphics bug that resulted in an error message for Unhandled
   exceptions. 
 * Fixed lognormality GOF test in the UCL with NDs modules for gamma, normal,
   and non-parametric only.  


ENHANCEMENTS TO UCL RECOMMENDATIONS

Changes to UCL recommendations were made based on three simulation studies
performed by Neptune and Company, Inc (see Appendix D of the Technical Guide)
with an aim to better align ProUCL with the DQO process, under which accuracy
must be an important consideration. In ProUCL 5.2, the decision logic for
goodness-of-fit has been modified so that more robust UCL estimators are
selected more often. The Chebyshev UCL is no longer recommended, and the H UCL
is only recommended in cases of moderate to large sample sizes when there is
high confidence that the assumption of lognormality is met to a good
approximation. It has been noted that in some cases, data may be too skewed or
not numerous enough to determine an appropriate UCL. ProUCL 5.2 does not provide
a recommendation in these cases but encourages the user to: 1) verify that the
data were collected randomly (rather than through biased sampling, such as hot
spot delineation sampling or best professional judgment sampling); 2) consider
site knowledge that may explain why the data may be skewed (such as small areas
of high concentrations); and 3) to contact a statistician if ProUCL cannot
provide a recommendation. A detailed description of the justification for these
changes is in Technical Guide Section 2.5, and new decision logic charts are
available in Appendix A of the same guide. 


USER AND TECHNICAL GUIDE UPDATES

Both guides have been updated to include all recent changes to the program and
to be more user friendly and informative and are now downloaded separately from
the program for ease of reference and use.  


REFERENCES

Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC). 2012. Incremental Sampling
Methodology. Technical and Regulatory Guidance, 2012.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1989a. Methods for Evaluating the
Attainment of Cleanup Standards, Vol. 1, Soils and Solid Media. Publication
EPA/230/2-89/042.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1992. Statistical Analysis of
Ground-water Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities. Addendum to Interim Final
Guidance. Washington DC: Office of Solid Waste. July 1992.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1994. Statistical Methods for
Evaluating the Attainment of Cleanup Standards, EPA 230-R-94-004, Washington,
DC.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2000. U.S.

Singh, A.K., Singh, A., and Engelhardt, M. 1997. The Lognormal Distribution in
Environmental Applications. Technology Support Center Issue Paper, 182CMB97.
EPA/600/R-97/006, December 1997.

Singh, A., Singh, A.K., and Iaci, R.J. 2002. Estimation of the Exposure Point
Concentration Term Using a Gamma Distribution, EPA/600/R-02/084, October 2002.

Singh, A. and Nocerino, J.M. 2002. Robust Estimation of Mean and Variance Using
Environmental Data Sets with Below Detection Limit Observations. Vol. 60, pp.
69-86.

Singh, A., Maichle, R., and Lee, S. 2006. On the Computation of a 95% Upper
Confidence Limit of the Unknown Population Mean Based Upon Data Sets with Below
Detection Limit Observations. EPA/600/R-06/022, March 2006.


TRAINING FOR PROUCL

Five archived webinars are available for learning more about ProUCL. 

 * Basic training
 * Advanced training
 * ProUCL Utilization 2020: Part 1: ProUCL A to Z 
 * ProUCL Utilization 2020: Part 2: Trend Analysis 
 * ProUCL Utilization 2020: Part 3: Background Level Calculations 


CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PROUCL

The ProUCL software is developed under the direction of the ORD Site
Characterization and Monitoring Technical Support Center (SCMTSC). Any comments
or questions concerning ProUCL should be addressed to: 

Felicia Barnett (barnett.felicia@epa.gov)
Director, Site Characterization and Monitoring Technical Support Center 
USEPA/ORD/CESER/Region 4 
461 Forsyth Street, S.W.  
Atlanta, GA 30303-8960  


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

 1. Download the file ProUCLInstall.msi from the top of this page and save to a
    temporary location. Note: You can delete this file when the installation is
    complete.  

 2. Double click the ProUCLInstall.msi file and follow the installation
    instructions provided by the install wizard. 

 3. To run the program, click windows icon on the far-left side of the Task bar
    and navigate to ProUCL 5.2. Open the folder and click on ProUCL 5.2 to start
    the program.  
    
    1. To pin ProUCL to Taskbar, right click ProUCL icon displayed on Taskbar
       and click Pin to Taskbar.  

 4. To uninstall the program, open the Windows settings dialog then choose Apps.
    Search through the list of installed applications for ProUCL. Click on
    ProUCL and then click the Uninstall button.  

 5. To access Data folder, click windows icon on the far-left side of the Task
    bar and navigate to ProUCL 5.2. Open the folder and double click on Data. 


MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

 * Windows 10 or 11 compatible PC - ProUCL 5.2.00 will function but some titles
   and some Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) will need to be scrolled.
   Definition without color will be marginal. 
 * Minimum graphics display of 800 by 600 pixels 
 * Basic Color is preferred


SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

ProUCL 5.2.00 has been developed in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 using the
C# programming language. To properly run ProUCL 5.2.00 software, the computer
using the program must have the .NET Framework 4.0 pre-installed. The
downloadable .NET Framework 4.0 files can be obtained from one of the following
websites: 

 * http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/updates/default.aspxExit
   EPA’s website
 * Quicker site for 32 Bit Operating
   systems: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851Exit
   EPA’s website


DOCUMENTATION DOWNLOADS

 * ProUCL version 5.2.00
 * ProUCL version 5.1.00
 * ProUCL version 5.0.00
 * ProUCL version 4.1.00
 * ProUCL version 4.00.05
 * ProUCL version 4.00.04
 * ProUCL version 4.00.02
 * ProUCL version 3.00.02

 * Land Research Home
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 * Underground Storage Tank Research
 * Vapor Intrusion Research
 * Funding, Tools, & Other Resources

Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on November 20, 2023


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