Trends in the development of proficiency testing for chemical analysis: focus on food and environmental matrices

Author(s)

Bertoni Olivares, Igor Renato ; de Souza, Gilberto Batista ; de Araujo Nogueira, Ana Rita ; Polisel Pacces, Vitor Hugo ; Grizotto, Pamela Aparecida ; da Silva Gomes Lima, Paula Souza ; Bontempi, Rhaissa Mecca

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE; v. 27, n. 2, p. 29-pg., 2022-01-29.

Abstract

The importance of quality in analytical chemistry stimulates the development of different tools to assure the reliability of analytical results. Among different tools, proficiency testing (PT) stands out because it can be used to evaluate bias, check uncertainty, train analysts, or certify if a laboratory can execute a method adequately and provide correct results. There is a growing demand for traceable and reliable results in analytical chemistry, which can be illustrated with the growth of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and the importance of PT in this context. This has led to an increase in developments and publications about PT programs. This paper reports a detailed review considering the best practices to develop PT for chemical analysis, focusing on food and environmental matrices. An evaluation of the trends and the statistical strategies in its development in the last two years was performed to guide new developments of this tool that is increasingly necessary for laboratories. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/26145-9 - Bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and speciation of nutrients and inorganic contaminants in meat and fish
• Grantee: Ana Rita de Araujo Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/01238-4 - Development of proficiency tests for agricultural laboratories aiming reproducibility of results and maintenance of ISO/IEC 17025
• Grantee: Igor Renato Bertoni Olivares
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants