Applicability of Using a Single Laboratory Evaluation to Select Candidates for Collaborative Testing: Experience with a Soil Toxicity Bioassay
SourceThe purpose of a single laboratory evaluation is to provide a rational basis for deciding whether or not a bioassay merits the effort and expense of the collaborative testing necessary to qualify it for inclusion as part of an operational monitoring network. Guidelines, published by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency state that a single laboratory test should evaluate a proposed method's capability for ruggedness, sensitivity, limits of reliable measurement, systematic error, precision, and accuracy. To demonstrate the use of these guidelines, the Hydrogen Oxidation Soil Bioassay was selected for evaluation as a potential candidate for collaborative testing. Results from this demonstration indicated that the single laboratory evaluation provides a concise and organized approach for selecting bioassays for collaborative testing.