QUALITY ASSURANCE IN BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS

The assessment of health risks due to occupational and environmental e xposures has become, over the course of the years, increasingly import ant. Exposure and biochemical effects are estimated by biological moni toring, through the systematic collection of specimens from potentiall y exposed humans. Ln the field of biological monitoring, quality assur ance (QA) concerns all those actions necessary to provide confidence t hat the results of laboratory tests will satisfy defined standards for quality. QA includes all steps which have to be taken to ensure that laboratory results are reliable, i.e., the adoption of good, scientifi cally sound practices for laboratory operation, including-apart from a ll the analytical steps-selection, collection transport and storage, p reparation and manipulation of specimens, and recording, reporting, an d interpretation of results. QA also includes other activities designe d to improve the quality of investigations e.g., stab training and edu cation, evaluation of the adequacy of the laboratory environment, and maintenance and calibration of instruments. All these activities shoul d be described ill a quality manual which is a prerequisite to obtain the certification of the quality system or laboratory accreditation. ( C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.