TRENDS IN QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE CHARACTERIZATION OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Quality assurance issues related to data quality in environmental chem ical contamination assessments are discussed. Implementation of standa rd operating procedures during sample collection, preservation, packag ing, transport, and analysis is mandatory. Record keeping, chain-of-cu stody, and data management practices associated with audits and correc tive actions enforcement ensure defensible data compliance.