Chapter 11

Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC)


When and why do QA/QC procedures have to be introduced in a routine laboratory?

Why do methods need to be validated? Name the parameters and how can they be determined?

When testing environmental water samples, greater care has to be taken during sample preparation and dosing in comparison to single chemical assays. Why?

What determines the sensitivity of a bioassay?

What practical considerations are there and what experimental parameters can affect the QA/QC of the bioassay and how? Give examples.

Quality control samples are a crucial component of QA/QC for bioanalytical tools. Which samples should be included and what does the standard curve say about them?

What are field and laboratory blanks?

What are control charts used for?

What is the “edge effect”? Why and how should you reduce the effect?

Why is DMSO often the solvent of choice in bioassays, despite its cytotoxic photoproducts?