Lab accreditation agencies trained on bioassay methods for fish

Assessors who accredit environmental laboratories in California received training in testing requirements and data quality issues associated with a suite of commonly used fish bioassay toxicity tests during a three-day workshop co-presented by SCCWRP in October – the first training in what is expected to be a series of trainings co-hosted by SCCWRP to enhance the expertise of laboratory assessors.

The workshop comes in response to an effort by California’s Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) to initiate continuing education opportunities for its assessors. ELAP accredits all public and private laboratories that produce environmental data that get used in State decision-making processes.

Accreditors on ELAP’s staff attended the workshop, as did third-party assessors from other states who contract with ELAP to fill gaps in the routine accreditation services that ELAP provides.

SCCWRP kicked off the training series by focusing on multiple well-established fish toxicity tests, but intends to eventually expand to offering continuing education in newer areas, including bioanalytical cell assays that screen water samples for the presence of bioactive contaminants.