PROFICIENCY TESTING
Aquatic toxicity testing laboratories that provide toxicity testing services to facilities regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program of the Clean Water Act are required to demonstrate their proficiency in conducting these tests by participating in Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMRQA) Studies. Proficiency testing is also a critical component of Quality Assurance and Accreditation programs. Each laboratory must conduct a representative test for each test design conducted on behalf of client permittees on an annual basis. Reagents of unknown identity are purchased from approved providers and tested under standard conditions. Results are then submitted back to the reagent provider and compared to the results from other testing labs that purchased reagents from the same providers. Results that fall outside calculated Acceptance Limits for each test design require a repeat of the test using reagent from a different provider.
Aquatox Research, Inc. (ARI) has participated in DMRQA since its inception in 1993. Results are posted below for both acute and chronic tests with the freshwater fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, and the planktonic invertebrate crustacean, Ceriodaphnia dubia for the five most recent years. Once a study closes and graded results are provided to ARI, formal reports are distributed to our clients. Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions you may have about our Proficiency testing program or their results.