ABSTRACT
Quality assurance (QA) in an analytical laboratory is an essential management tool to ensure reliable performance. Criteria for implementation of a QA program have been established by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The book by Garfield (1984) listed these elements of a QA program as follows:
• Administration • Personnel management • Management of equipment and supplies • Records maintenance • Sample analysis • Proficiency testing • Audit procedures • Design and safety of facilities
All these factors will not be covered in detail in this chapter. Users of this guide should refer to
Soil Analysis Handbook of Reference Methods
(Anonymous, 1999) for specific QA procedures in a soil testing laboratory, and
Handbook of Reference Methods for Plant Analysis
(Kalra, 1998) for a plant analysis laboratory. For a more general review of this topic, refer to the books by Garfield (1984), Dux (1986), Taylor (1987), and Garner and Barge (1988).
