ASI #108, ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY QA WORKSHOP
INCLUDING DETECTING IMPROPER PRACTICES

OBJECTIVES OF COURSE

The objective of the course is to present various methods for determining when
quality assurance and quality control problems (QA/QC) occur during data
collection activities. QA/QC problems are often presumed to be limited to the test
method while other factors also contribute to the data generation. A sound
quality assurance program helps to ferret out these QA/QC problems and
prevent their reoccurrence.

The course is directed to quality assurance officers, laboratory managers, and
testing supervisors, analysts, and data reviewers. The course provides guidance
on the review of quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) requirements to
acquire technically and legally defensible environmental data from laboratory
operations. A list of references in the course handout allows the opportunity to
further your understanding and obtain more specific information on the subjects
presented.

The course contents include:

· Fundamentals of quality assurance and quality control practices,
· Review sensitivity issues related to detection limits and quantitation limits,
· Review chemistry principles related to the corrective actions for chromatography, spectrometry and other techniques.
· Review chemistry principles: instrumental calibration and verification, spectrometry data review, chromatography data review (retention time, background, integration parameters and practices)
· Review support system: manual and electronic data transfer, training.
· Detecting and preventing improper practices

COURSE AGENDA

One Day February 20, 2007 ( 7 hours)

Quality Assurance ( 1 hour)
· What is quality assurance?
· The application of quality assurance
· Examples of quality assurance principles

Quality Control Protocol ( 1 hours)
· Spikes, Blanks, Control Samples for batch control
· Measurement Uncertainty
· Standards, Reagents, Materials

Chemistry Principles ( 2 hours)
· Instrumental calibration and verification
· Spectrometry Data Review
· Chromatography Data Review
· Retention Time
· Background
· Integration Parameters and Practices

Detecting and Preventing Improper Practices ( 3 hours)
· Ethics Training Elements Review
· Data Transfer
· Manual
· Electronic

Practical examples of the calculations used are included as part of the course group work.

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