Laboratory Environmental Analysis Proficiency

The Central Chemical Laboratory (CLCh) is the primary analytical facility of the Polish Geological Institute (PIG) and carries out practically all the chemical analysis at PIG. CLCh took part in the INCO-COPERNICUS Project Development of Analytical Procedures to Guarantee Quality Assurance in International Environmental Monitoring . CLCh participated in numerous international inter-laboratory comparisons as well as organized various inter-laboratory comparatives and proficiency testing studies for laboratories of Provincial Environment Protection Inspectorates. In March 2000, CLCh was granted the Certificate of Testing Laboratory Accreditation, with respect to physical and chemical analyses of water. 

Internal methods of quality assessment should always be viewed with some level of skepticism because of the potential for bias in their execution and interpretation. For this reason, external methods of quality assessment also play an important role in quality assurance programs. One external method of quality assessment is the certification of a laboratory by a sponsoring agency. Certification is based on the successful analysis of a set of proficiency standards prepared by the sponsoring agency. For example, laboratories involved in environmental analyses may be required to analyze standard samples prepared by the Environmental Protection... 

The hydrolysis products (23-25) of the three nitrogen mustards listed in Schedule 1 of the CWC were included in the general LC/APCI/MS screening procedures of Black and Read, 14 26 . These procedures, and those of other laboratories, have successfully identified Af-methyldiethanolamine (23) and N-clhyldiclhanolaminc (24) in OPCW proficiency tests. More specific methods based on LC/ESI/MS have been reported for the trace analysis of ethanolamines in environmental residues (66) and biomedical samples (67). 

The development of CE analytical methods for CW-related compounds has been directed primarily toward the analysis of these compounds in environmental matrices such as soil and water. These methods have been used in the analysis of samples distributed as part of the interlaboratory comparisons exercises, the so-called round-robin exercises coordinated by Finland, and more recently, the OPCW Laboratory Proficiency Testing. 

The matrices and elements that are studied target international trade, health, environmental issues, or politics that are associated with between country issues, and where possible are drawn from real-life samples. Laboratories are given the freedom to choose the method, measurands, or components that are relevant to their interests, and are encouraged to use their routine measurement methods. Usually, each laboratory is asked to report, as well as the value of the measurand, an expanded measurement uncertainty within which the value of the quantity being measured is claimed to be with a stated probability. The laboratories are also asked to indicate the method used, whether or not they consider themselves to be expert in the analysis, and to what guides or standards they may be accredited. As with any interlaboratory proficiency study full anonymity of the laboratories is guaranteed. 

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