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 Laboratory Coordination and Data Quality: Integrating Key Issues for Responding to a Water Security Breach
Laboratory response must be led by specialists who have intimate knowledge of multilaboratory coordination issues with particular expertise in implementing rigorous quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures. From sample collection protocols, to analysis and interpretation approaches, these specialists must have a firm understanding of the chemical and biological properties of toxic contaminants involved, analysis methods for these contaminants, interferences, detection limits, and QA/QC sample design. Battelle deals with these issues routinely by providing support to the U.S.-designated treaty compliance laboratory for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons International Proficiency Testing program. The proficiency test consists of rapid turn-around analyses of matrices such as water, sediment, decontamination solutions, and paint chips for the presence of chemical warfare agents, degradation products, and precursors. Between 6 and 25 international laboratories participate in the semi-annual test, and each designated laboratory serves on a rotating basis as either the coordinator and preparer of the proficiency samples, participant, or evaluator of the participants’ reports. To serve effectively in a coordination role, it is essential to have played the role of the participating laboratory so that the nuances of the methods and the QA/QC data are fully understood. For more information on these programs, contact Dr. Bruce Alleman at (614) 424-5715, allemanb@battelle.org, or Dr. James Peterson at (410) 306-8632, petersonj@battelle.org. |
Our nation’s public drinking water system
is a key potential terrorist target. EPA’s plans
for counteracting water system terrorist acts
include building the infrastructure for rapid
coordination of laboratories to assess the
nature and scope of a security breach. In the
event of a terrorist attack, coordination of
specialized laboratories will be needed to
characterize the immediate threat to water
safety, and to monitor water systems to
determine, from the perspective of human
health risk, when the threat has
been contained and then eliminated.
Integrity, consistency, and quality of
data across laboratories are essential
to ensuring accurate information
and minimizing uncertainty so that
public confidence with respect to
safety is maintained during such
an event.