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Accreditation and Quality Assurance: Journal for Quality, Comparability and Reliability in Chemical Measurement (v.11, #5)
Quality assurance in research laboratories by Margaret M. Robins; S. Jane Scarll; Pauline E. Key (pp. 214-223).
During the last decade, it has become increasingly important that researchers demonstrate that research is conducted to the highest standards. The implementation of quality assurance for research laboratories will enable all fields of research and development to be judged impartially. There are no specific standards for research laboratories but where possible, existing standards can be adapted. This review is structured around two approaches. The first considers research to be a logical extension of testing, and it is assumed that testing standards can be applied methodically to each step in a research project. The second advocates a flexible approach, with research-specific criteria for assessing quality. The important papers published on this topic have been reviewed. The conclusions are that the general quality management approach, encompassed by the ISO 9000 series of standards with the emphasis on customer satisfaction and ‘fitness for purpose’, is suitable for implementing quality assurance in research laboratories.
Keywords: Quality management; Quality assurance; Research and development; ISO 9000
Quality assurance in research laboratories by Margaret M. Robins; S. Jane Scarll; Pauline E. Key (pp. 214-223).
During the last decade, it has become increasingly important that researchers demonstrate that research is conducted to the highest standards. The implementation of quality assurance for research laboratories will enable all fields of research and development to be judged impartially. There are no specific standards for research laboratories but where possible, existing standards can be adapted. This review is structured around two approaches. The first considers research to be a logical extension of testing, and it is assumed that testing standards can be applied methodically to each step in a research project. The second advocates a flexible approach, with research-specific criteria for assessing quality. The important papers published on this topic have been reviewed. The conclusions are that the general quality management approach, encompassed by the ISO 9000 series of standards with the emphasis on customer satisfaction and ‘fitness for purpose’, is suitable for implementing quality assurance in research laboratories.
Keywords: Quality management; Quality assurance; Research and development; ISO 9000
Networks of reference measurement laboratories in laboratory medicine—activities of the Joint Committee on Traceability (JCTLM, WG-2)
by Lothar Siekmann (pp. 224-230).
Networks of reference measurement laboratories in laboratory medicine—activities of the Joint Committee on Traceability (JCTLM, WG-2)
by Lothar Siekmann (pp. 224-230).
Preliminary study to prepare a reference material of toluene metabolite – o-cresol and benzene metabolite-phenol – in human urine by Ilona Šperlingová; Ludmila Dabrowská; Vladimír Stránský; Jan Kučera; Miloň Tichý (pp. 231-235).
The candidate reference material (RM) was prepared by freeze-drying pooled urine samples obtained from healthy persons occupationally exposed to toluene. Homogeneity testing yielded no significant differences of urinary concentrations of o-cresol and phenol in 15 randomly selected units of RM. Stability testing showed no significant changes of concentrations of the above analytes over a period of 6 months. Property (pre-certified) values of phenol and o-cresol concentrations and their uncertainties (9.06±0.47 mg l−1 and 1.03±0.06 mg l−1, respectively) were estimated from results of a small-scale interlaboratory comparison in which two laboratories participated using four different analytical methods.
Keywords: Reference material; Toluene metabolites; O-cresol; Phenol; Uncertainty
Preliminary study to prepare a reference material of toluene metabolite – o-cresol and benzene metabolite-phenol – in human urine by Ilona Šperlingová; Ludmila Dabrowská; Vladimír Stránský; Jan Kučera; Miloň Tichý (pp. 231-235).
The candidate reference material (RM) was prepared by freeze-drying pooled urine samples obtained from healthy persons occupationally exposed to toluene. Homogeneity testing yielded no significant differences of urinary concentrations of o-cresol and phenol in 15 randomly selected units of RM. Stability testing showed no significant changes of concentrations of the above analytes over a period of 6 months. Property (pre-certified) values of phenol and o-cresol concentrations and their uncertainties (9.06±0.47 mg l−1 and 1.03±0.06 mg l−1, respectively) were estimated from results of a small-scale interlaboratory comparison in which two laboratories participated using four different analytical methods.
Keywords: Reference material; Toluene metabolites; O-cresol; Phenol; Uncertainty
Report by the analytical methods committee: evaluation of analytical instrumentation Part XXI NIR instrumentation for process control
(pp. 236-237).
Report by the analytical methods committee: evaluation of analytical instrumentation Part XXI NIR instrumentation for process control
(pp. 236-237).
The effects of quality-management systems on external quality-assessment performance in Finnish clinical chemistry laboratories by Maritta Siloaho; Solveig Linko; Eino Puhakainen; Ulla-Riitta Nordberg (pp. 238-245).
The effects of the implementation of quality-management systems and technological changes on the performance of 23 Finnish clinical chemistry laboratories were studied in external quality-assessment (EQA) schemes organized by Labquality Ltd., Finland, during 1993 to 1999. The investigated serum analytes were sodium, calcium, glucose, cholesterol, and alanine aminotransferase. According to the results, the improvements in analytical quality due to the quality programs were rather small. The effects to the proportions of satisfactory results in terms of precision and deviation from the target value were 5–15% (95% confidence intervals for the proportions ±1–5%). At the same time the laboratories were implementing quality-management systems new technology and characteristics of quality-control materials affected the EQA performance. Both improvements and deteriorations in analytical quality due to these factors were identified. The effects and their total outcomes differed substantially between the five analytes.
Keywords: Analytical quality; Quality improvement; Quality-management system; External quality assessment
The effects of quality-management systems on external quality-assessment performance in Finnish clinical chemistry laboratories by Maritta Siloaho; Solveig Linko; Eino Puhakainen; Ulla-Riitta Nordberg (pp. 238-245).
The effects of the implementation of quality-management systems and technological changes on the performance of 23 Finnish clinical chemistry laboratories were studied in external quality-assessment (EQA) schemes organized by Labquality Ltd., Finland, during 1993 to 1999. The investigated serum analytes were sodium, calcium, glucose, cholesterol, and alanine aminotransferase. According to the results, the improvements in analytical quality due to the quality programs were rather small. The effects to the proportions of satisfactory results in terms of precision and deviation from the target value were 5–15% (95% confidence intervals for the proportions ±1–5%). At the same time the laboratories were implementing quality-management systems new technology and characteristics of quality-control materials affected the EQA performance. Both improvements and deteriorations in analytical quality due to these factors were identified. The effects and their total outcomes differed substantially between the five analytes.
Keywords: Analytical quality; Quality improvement; Quality-management system; External quality assessment
Uncertainty sources in UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurement by Lilli Sooväli; Eva-Ingrid Rõõm; Agnes Kütt; Ivari Kaljurand; Ivo Leito (pp. 246-255).
An overview is given of the most important uncertainty sources that affect analytical UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurements. Altogether, eight uncertainty sources are discussed that are expected to have influence in chemical analysis. It is demonstrated that the well-known intrinsic (or “physical”) sources of uncertainty that originate from the instrument itself (repeatability of spectrophotometer reading, spectrophotometer drift, stray light, etc.) often have significantly lower contributions to the combined uncertainty of the result than the “chemical” sources of uncertainty that originate from the object under study (interference from the constituents of the matrix, decomposition of the photometric complex, etc.). Although selectivity of a photometric procedure is often considered more a validation topic than an uncertainty topic, it is very often important to include it also in the uncertainty budget.Usually the most difficult part of uncertainty estimation of a chemical measurement result is to evaluate the magnitude of the actual uncertainty components, especially the chemical ones. For most of the uncertainty sources discussed in this paper, approaches for their evaluation are given. A generic uncertainty budget for absorbance is presented.
Keywords: UV-Vis spectrophotometry; Measurement uncertainty; Uncertainty sources; Drift; Repeatability; Nonlinearity; Selectivity
Uncertainty sources in UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurement by Lilli Sooväli; Eva-Ingrid Rõõm; Agnes Kütt; Ivari Kaljurand; Ivo Leito (pp. 246-255).
An overview is given of the most important uncertainty sources that affect analytical UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurements. Altogether, eight uncertainty sources are discussed that are expected to have influence in chemical analysis. It is demonstrated that the well-known intrinsic (or “physical”) sources of uncertainty that originate from the instrument itself (repeatability of spectrophotometer reading, spectrophotometer drift, stray light, etc.) often have significantly lower contributions to the combined uncertainty of the result than the “chemical” sources of uncertainty that originate from the object under study (interference from the constituents of the matrix, decomposition of the photometric complex, etc.). Although selectivity of a photometric procedure is often considered more a validation topic than an uncertainty topic, it is very often important to include it also in the uncertainty budget.Usually the most difficult part of uncertainty estimation of a chemical measurement result is to evaluate the magnitude of the actual uncertainty components, especially the chemical ones. For most of the uncertainty sources discussed in this paper, approaches for their evaluation are given. A generic uncertainty budget for absorbance is presented.
Keywords: UV-Vis spectrophotometry; Measurement uncertainty; Uncertainty sources; Drift; Repeatability; Nonlinearity; Selectivity
The correlation coefficient attacks again by A. Gustavo González; M. Ángeles Herrador; Agustín G. Asuero; Ana Sayago (pp. 256-258).
The use of the correlation coefficient for testing the linearity of calibration curves is performed according to the ANOVA checking of the lack-of-fit. The procedure is illustrated from a case study.
Keywords: Correlation coefficient; Coefficient of determination; Linearity; Lack-of-fit
The correlation coefficient attacks again by A. Gustavo González; M. Ángeles Herrador; Agustín G. Asuero; Ana Sayago (pp. 256-258).
The use of the correlation coefficient for testing the linearity of calibration curves is performed according to the ANOVA checking of the lack-of-fit. The procedure is illustrated from a case study.
Keywords: Correlation coefficient; Coefficient of determination; Linearity; Lack-of-fit