Accreditation and Quality Assurance最新文献

{"title":"Quality control charts for short or long runs without a training phase. Part 2. Performances in the presence of a persistent systematic error and simultaneous small shifts in the mean and the variance","authors":"Manuel Alvarez-Prieto,&nbsp;Ricardo Páez-Montero","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01616-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01616-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sometimes, analytical laboratories receive requests with a small number of determinations and/or samples or outside the typical scope of analytical services. As a result, they may not have historical data on the performance of the required analytical procedures and/or appropriate reference materials. Under these conditions, it is difficult or uneconomical to use traditional quality control charts. This is the so-called start-up problem of these charts. Quesenberry’s Q charts are appropriate in these situations because they do not require a prior training phase. In the first part of this series of publications, the fundamentals and the algebraic expressions of the Q charts were presented for the individual measurements for the mean (four cases) and for the variance (two cases). This experimental study was carried out with data from quality control of mass fractions of Co in a serpentinite CRM and SiO₂ in a laterite CRM, by ICP-OES. The performance of Q charts is discussed in two situations: when the analytical process showed a clear systematic error from the beginning and when small shifts in mean and variance occurred simultaneously. In the first situation, performances of Q charts for the mean depended on the case: two of them were very sensitive even in the short run and the other two were insensitive and useless. In the second situation, the Q charts showed delayed alarms, but with a comparable behavior to the chart for individual measurements and the moving range of two. EWMA charts associated to Q charts were an excellent complement.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"30 1","pages":"35 - 44"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142994435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promotion of metrological traceability through the provision of a metrologically traceable proficiency testing reference value for the mass fraction of benzoic acid in fish sauce","authors":"Jasmine Po-Kwan Lau,&nbsp;Alvin Wai-Hong Fung","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01618-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01618-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The present paper outlines a joint proficiency testing (PT) programme established between the Asia–Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC). This programme aims to assess the analytical performance and enhance measurement proficiencies in laboratories across various economies, with a focus on the quantification of benzoic acid in fish sauce. This PT programme was organised by the Government Laboratory, the designated institute of metrology in chemistry for Hong Kong, China (GLHK). A comprehensive invitation extended to both APMP and non-APAC members resulted in the participation of 41 laboratories from 19 different economies. The metrological reference value for benzoic acid, provided by GLHK, was determined utilizing isotope-dilution mass spectroscopy (IDMS) with traceability to the International System of Units (SI). This SI-traceable reference value enhances the quality of participants’ measurements and promotes the awareness of traceability among the participants, enabling a more accurate evaluation of their results. Concurrently, this approach facilitates the building of measurement capabilities among participants, fostering more robust connections between metrology institutes and testing laboratories. The programme also revealed a notable deficiency in the understanding of statistical concepts among some participants, including the coverage factor, degrees of freedom, standard uncertainty, and expanded uncertainty. Proper interpretation of zeta-scores or <i>E</i>_n scores based on measurement uncertainties, when analysed alongside <i>z</i>-scores, proves to be indispensable for an accurate assessment of the participants’ measurement competencies and their ability to evaluate measurement uncertainty. The assessment of participants’ performances, taking into account measurement uncertainties, serves as a benchmark for participants to gauge the validity of their measurement uncertainty evaluations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"30 1","pages":"103 - 115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142994436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A fit-for-purpose nongaseous impurity assay procedure for potential inorganic primary reference materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","authors":"Jong Wha Lee,&nbsp;Hyung Sik Min,&nbsp;Jinil Kim,&nbsp;Kyoung-Seok Lee","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01617-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01617-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Purity-evaluated inorganic materials, which are potential primary reference materials (PRMs) in chemistry, are crucial to the production of inorganic calibration solutions with metrological traceability to the International System of Units (SI). Purity evaluation is typically performed by individually assaying all possible impurities (gaseous and nongaseous) in a material, but technical challenges and the lack of resources are creating bottlenecks in developing effective purity assay procedures. This study describes a nongaseous impurity assay procedure developed and used at Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) to evaluate the purities of inorganic PRMs. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is used to assay more than 60 impurity elements in a single day, and external glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) data are used to complement ICP-MS data. All aspects of the impurity assay procedure, including sample preparation, instrument operation, and data treatment, are described in detail. It is shown that the procedure is applicable to high-purity Al, As, Cu, NaCl, Se, Si, and Zn, and that a target relative uncertainty of 0.005 % for purity values can be satisfied even if individual impurity data are quite uncertain. Particular emphasis is on clearly specifying the measurand and target uncertainty for developing a fit-for-purpose assay procedure, as they determine the acceptable level of assay quality and help preventing misinterpretation of assay results.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"30 2","pages":"117 - 128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00769-024-01617-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selection of bacterial strains in a testing microbiology laboratory for quality assurance purposes: ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard point of view","authors":"Han-Min Ohn","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01615-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01615-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Clause 6.5 of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard describes the requirements for the metrological traceability of measurement results of a testing or calibration laboratory. Subclause 6.5.2 describes three ways to establish traceability to the International System of Units (SI). However, it is not technically possible to trace the bacterial strains used in a microbiology laboratory to the SI unit. So, when selecting a bacterial strain in a microbiology laboratory for quality assurance purposes, the laboratory needs to fulfill the subclause 6.5.3 (a) of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard i.e., the laboratory needs to utilize a certified bacterial strain provided by a competent producer. So, when procuring a bacterial strain to fulfill this subclause, we need to ensure two points; (a) the bacterial strain is certified and (b) the producer is competent. A certified bacterial strain produces well-defined biochemical reactions and possesses a defined genomic sequence. There are various well-known certified bacterial strains, such as American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains, National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) strains etc. The laboratory also needs to make sure that the producer of these certified bacterial strains is competent, i.e. ISO 17034 accredited. Only when these two conditions are met, a microbiology laboratory can safely assume that it meets the requirements of subclause 6.5.3 (a) of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. For a particular bacterial species, from the vast number of strains available, the laboratory also needs to consider which specific strain to procure. The purpose of this article is to discuss why a testing microbiology laboratory needs bacterial reference materials and how it should select a bacterial reference material for quality assurance purposes from the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard point of view.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"30 1","pages":"95 - 101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142994722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking the secret to reliable leather test results: the importance of proficiency testing in establishing metrological traceability","authors":"Tabitha Orwa Ahuya","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01612-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01612-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Leather is a versatile and widely used material, employed in various products such as fashion, footwear, furniture and automotive industries. The quality of leather products is critical in ensuring their safety, durability and aesthetic value verified through reliable and accurate testing. However, obtaining reliable leather test results can be challenging due to the complexity of the material and the test methods involved. Metrological traceability is a significant aspect of quality assurance, for ensuring results are comparable, consistent and accurate over time and across different laboratories. This paper will look at how the Polymer Laboratory of Kenya Bureau of Standards’ Testing Services Department demonstrates metrological traceability of leather tear tests results.</p><p>The Laboratory identified ISO 3377-1:2011 [IULTCS/IUP 40 Leather—physical and mechanical tests—determination of tear load. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland] as the appropriate reference measurement procedure for determination of tear load. Leather fibre material obtained from cowhide was tested for single-edge tear, result obtained was 6.6 ± 0.7 N. This result was then compared to assigned value for tear (8.1 ± 0.64 N) obtained through consensus of results from participating laboratories all using reference measurement procedure ISO 3377-1:2011|IULTCS/IUP 40 [8]. This comparison allowed the Laboratory to establish a traceability chain that connects its measurement result and any associated uncertainties to the SI unit of force, i.e. newton (N) through calibrated equipment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"29 5-6","pages":"441 - 444"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141921066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk management: ten years of experience in the organization of the proficiency testing AQUA","authors":"Paola Carnieletto,&nbsp;Paola Perini,&nbsp;Silvia Benato,&nbsp;Riccardo Muliari,&nbsp;Cristina Silvestrin,&nbsp;Maria Grimaldi,&nbsp;Francesca Lega,&nbsp;Marzia Mancin","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01613-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01613-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) organizes qualitative and quantitative proficiency testing (PT) schemes—in the frame of the AQUA project—in different fields of technical competence. AQUA schemes for <i>Salmonella</i>, rabies, and avian influenza are performed by the national and international reference centres hosted by IZSVe. These PT are accredited according to ISO/IEC 17043:2010, since 2012. This manuscript aims to illustrate the methodology used in mapping the AQUA activities, identifying risks, and evaluating the risk management strategies implemented over the past decade. The goal is to provide a practical example of our experience in effective risk management. The mitigation actions put in place demonstrated the ability of IZSVe to minimize identified risks or at least keep them under control. In order to revise the quality management system in accordance the ISO/IEC 17043:2023 standard within the planned three-year transition period, the Institute has completed the first step of the transition processes: conducting a gap analysis and definition of the transition plan. A significant enhancement in the new edition of the standard is the increased emphasis on risk analysis. The organization believes that the methodology outlined in this document is applicable to the new regulatory context; however, it will be necessary to re-evaluate the risks associated with to each process in light of the new requirements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"29 5-6","pages":"433 - 439"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Certification of the total element mass fractions in UME EnvCRM 03 soil sample via a joint research project","authors":"Alper Isleyen,&nbsp;Suleyman Z. Can,&nbsp;Oktay Cankur,&nbsp;Betul Ari Engin,&nbsp;Jochen Vogl,&nbsp;Maren Koenig,&nbsp;Milena Horvat,&nbsp;Radojko Jacimovic,&nbsp;Tea Zuliani,&nbsp;Vesna Fajon,&nbsp;Aida Jotanovic,&nbsp;Luka Gaževic,&nbsp;Milena Milosevic,&nbsp;Maria Ochsenkuehn–Petropoulou,&nbsp;Fotis Tsopelas,&nbsp;Theopisti Lymberopoulou,&nbsp;Lamprini-Areti Tsakanika,&nbsp;Olga Serifi,&nbsp;Klaus M. Ochsenkuehn,&nbsp;Ewa Bulska,&nbsp;Anna Tomiak,&nbsp;Eliza Kurek,&nbsp;Zehra Cakılbahçe,&nbsp;Gokhan Aktas,&nbsp;Hatice Altuntas,&nbsp;Elif Basaran,&nbsp;Barıs Kısacık,&nbsp;Zeynep Gumus","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01611-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01611-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"29 4","pages":"303 - 303"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141663569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The optimization approach for uncertainty assessment of the heating value of aviation fuel","authors":"Zhaoming Zhou,&nbsp;Shangchun Wei,&nbsp;Zijun Song,&nbsp;Jiayang Li","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01610-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01610-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurately determining the calorific value of aviation kerosene is crucial for optimizing aircraft engine efficiency and design testing. However, current measurement methods exhibit significant uncertainties, necessitating an assessment of the uncertainty associated with measuring the calorific value of aviation kerosene to establish precise results. The present paper introduces the oxygen bomb calorific value measurement method and the probability box model, proposing an improved aviation kerosene calorific value uncertainty evaluation method by combining it with the MCM method. An uncertainty evaluation model based on GUM method, MCM method, and improved MCM method is established in conjunction with experimental data. The analysis of different models demonstrates that the improved MCM method effectively considers the uncertainty of corresponding distribution parameters of variables based on their own uncertainties, providing a reliable approach for calculating the heating value uncertainty of aviation kerosene.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"30 1","pages":"83 - 93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141683783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Appropriate statistical techniques when using consensus statistics to evaluate performance","authors":"Daniel Tholen,&nbsp;Piotr Robouch","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01607-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01607-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A large variety of statistical methods can be used for proficiency testing (PT) programs in various areas of laboratory testing. Statistical methods described in ISO 13528 and other international standards address PT in a wide variety of applications. The most significant difference in statistical techniques is whether performance evaluations are determined from the participant results using consensus statistics from the current round, or whether the performance criteria are determined independently. For schemes evaluated by consensus, the next most significant factor is the experience of both the scheme and its participants. This is evidenced in the proportion of results reported by participants who lack competence, are newly enrolled, or do not understand the instructions provided. For example, statistical techniques that are necessary for novel schemes (e.g. run for the first time) may not be appropriate for a similar scheme after several rounds with the same participants. Similarly, different techniques may apply for closed schemes that have regular technical review of a limited group of experienced laboratories. Techniques that make allowances for high levels of “contamination” from incompetent or inexperienced participants, such as the <i>z’</i> score with consensus assigned values, should not be used in experienced schemes using consensus statistics. Other techniques that are more sensitive to small systematic errors should be employed for closer monitoring of experienced laboratories, including statistical techniques that consider the measurement uncertainty of the results. Mature PT schemes and closed schemes for special purposes should evaluate the measurement uncertainty of participant results in any PT scheme used by laboratories that make decisions on conformity assessment, or where improvement of participant agreement is an objective for the scheme. Oversight bodies that require compliance with ISO/IEC 17043 should consider these recommendations, to better ensure global compatibility of measurements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"29 5-6","pages":"425 - 431"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145122321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between blood lead levels and socio-demographic factors among outpatient children in Ningbo, China","authors":"Chengbo Zhou,&nbsp;Wenbo Lu,&nbsp;Haiyan Qiu,&nbsp;Lihua Zhu,&nbsp;Jishan Zheng,&nbsp;Wenyuan Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00769-024-01609-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00769-024-01609-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lead exposure is a well-known health concern, affecting children worldwide. We aim to assess children’s blood lead levels (BLLs), and the association of risk factors with elevated BLL in children since the phase-out of leaded gasoline. We enrolled 8085 outpatient children to assess their blood lead levels, and the associations with social-demographic factors. Social-demographic information was obtained by using questionnaires. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were performed to explore the associations between social-demographic factors and elevated BLLs. The geometric mean BLL was 15.96 μg/L. The prevalence rates of elevated BLLs (≧ 100 μg/L and ≧ 50 μg/L) were 2.0 % and 10.9 %, respectively. BLLs in boys were higher than that in girls (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). Girls had a lower risk of BLLs above 50 μg/L than boys (OR = 0.83, 95 % CI 0.71–0.96). Father’s occupation as a skilled laborer or professional worker and living in the suburbs significantly contributed to the elevated BLLs ( ≧ 50 μg/L), with the ORs of 1.39 (1.06–1.81), 1.33 (1.01–1.75) and 1.24 (1.02–1.50), respectively. Our results suggested that children who lived in suburbs and whose fathers were skilled laborers and professional workers were more likely to have BLLs above 50 μg/L.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":454,"journal":{"name":"Accreditation and Quality Assurance","volume":"29 4","pages":"285 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142413510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}