233 - Challenges of Conducting Trend Analysis for Environmental Regulatory Compliance

Conducting trend analysis for environmental regulatory compliance can be a complex and challenging task. These challenges often stem from the data accuracy and appropriateness of the analytical technique used. Obtaining high-quality and consistent data can be challenging as environmental data may come from various sources, including sensors, monitoring equipment, government agencies, and third-party reports. While conducting trend analysis, various statistical tests and analytical techniques are often employed. However, the applicability of these tests, their underlying assumptions, and other related issues can significantly impact the accuracy and reliability of the analysis. Violating these assumptions may lead to inaccurate results. Most real-life projects involve conducting multiple tests on the same dataset which may increase the likelihood of obtaining significant results by chance. To mitigate this issue, researchers often apply corrections, which adjust the significance level to account for the multiple comparisons. However, these corrections can also increase the likelihood of false-negative errors. Besides these factors, environmental data often includes values below the detection limit, which are known as censored data. Presence of censored values pose challenges for trend analysis. To conduct a meaningful trend analysis, addressing these issues and making informed decisions about the choice of statistical methods, assumptions, and data handling techniques is essential for accurate trend analysis in the context of environmental regulatory compliance. In this study, a case study is presented using a real-life dataset showing the various above-mentioned issues and their potential resolution ensuring that the chosen statistical methods align with the regulatory requirements.