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The Evolution of Quality Assurance & Quality Control in Environmental Laboratories
Oral Presentation
Prepared by D. Speis
QC Laboratories, 1205 Industrial Boulevard, Southampton, Pennsylvania, 08525
Contact Information: dspeis@qclaboratories.com; 215-355-3900
ABSTRACT
Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) in environmental chemistry has progressively evolved since the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 resulting in continuous improvement in environmental data quality and usability. Several pivotal events have occurred during that period, which have defined quality control and quality assurance moving the environmental laboratory community closer to the ideal of producing data of known and documented quality while improving a data user’s confidence making remedial or regulatory decisions based on laboratory data.
The effects that computerization and automated data processing has had on the ability to generate QC data and the role that a national quality system standard has had on quality processes are central to this presentation. The role of these factors in the evolution of QA/QC in the environmental laboratory community will be discussed along with a brief perspective on what can be expected from QA systems in the future.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by D. Speis
QC Laboratories, 1205 Industrial Boulevard, Southampton, Pennsylvania, 08525
Contact Information: dspeis@qclaboratories.com; 215-355-3900
ABSTRACT
Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) in environmental chemistry has progressively evolved since the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 resulting in continuous improvement in environmental data quality and usability. Several pivotal events have occurred during that period, which have defined quality control and quality assurance moving the environmental laboratory community closer to the ideal of producing data of known and documented quality while improving a data user’s confidence making remedial or regulatory decisions based on laboratory data.
The effects that computerization and automated data processing has had on the ability to generate QC data and the role that a national quality system standard has had on quality processes are central to this presentation. The role of these factors in the evolution of QA/QC in the environmental laboratory community will be discussed along with a brief perspective on what can be expected from QA systems in the future.