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Quality in environmental toxicology measurements
1Centre de Toxicologie du Québec, CHUL, Sainte-Foy, QC, Canada.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Clinical chemists analyze environmental toxicants in human samples. Quality guidelines and interlaboratory comparisons ensure accurate toxicological testing for public health.
Area of Science:
- Clinical chemistry
- Environmental toxicology
- Biochemical analysis
Background:
- Environmental toxicology involves identifying toxicants and their effects in human specimens.
- Analytical requirements vary based on the testing purpose, from acute intoxication diagnosis to population studies.
- Laboratories must define the scope of their analytical methods for clarity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define environmental toxicology from a clinical chemist's perspective.
- To outline the requirements for analytical methods in environmental toxicology.
- To assess the quality and consistency of laboratory performance in toxicological measurements.
Main Methods:
- Adherence to quality guidelines like International Standards Organization (ISO) guide 25.
- Implementation of external proficiency assessments to demonstrate accuracy.
- Participation in interlaboratory comparison programs using reference materials.
Main Results:
- Laboratory performance in toxic metal analysis has shown improvement over recent years.
- Quality of results is generally adequate for most environmental toxicology applications.
- Interlaboratory comparisons effectively document laboratory performance trends.
Conclusions:
- Standardized quality guidelines and proficiency testing are crucial for reliable environmental toxicology.
- Consistent laboratory performance is achievable and improving.
- Clinical chemistry plays a vital role in environmental health monitoring.