ASTM D5522-99a
(Specification)Standard Specification for Minimum Requirements for Laboratories Engaged in Chemical Analysis of Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluid (Withdrawn 2004)
Standard Specification for Minimum Requirements for Laboratories Engaged in Chemical Analysis of Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluid (Withdrawn 2004)
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers specific criteria for evaluating the technical capabilities of laboratories involved in testing, measuring, inspecting, and calibrating activities related to chemical analysis of earth materials. In this specification, earth materials shall mean soil, rock, and contained fluids. For the sake of brevity, the term "laboratory" is used in this practice to represent all the above.
1.2 This specification addresses the minimum requirements for laboratories that analyze earth materials for metals, volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, radionuclides, and various other parameters by miscellaneous wet chemistry techniques.
1.3 This specification presents specific criteria to be used in an evaluation, including restrictions, minimum requirements, and benchmarks of compliance for specific tests or for specific types of tests.
1.4 This specification is meant only for the evaluation of facilities performing chemical analysis of earth materials and is in no way intended to be an absolute guide. It shall not replace specific criteria that exist for test methods or that exist as separate standards. In instances where laboratory evaluation sections are included as part of a test method, or where specific criteria for test methods exist as separate standards, those separate criteria should also be considered.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn. Contact ASTM
International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: D 5522 – 99a
Standard Specification for
Minimum Requirements for Laboratories Engaged in
Chemical Analysis of Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluid
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 5522; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope* 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This specification covers specific criteria for evaluating 2.1 ASTM Standards:
the technical capabilities of laboratories involved in testing, D 3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies
measuring, inspecting, and calibrating activities related to Engaged In theTesting and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock
chemical analysis of earth materials. In this specification, earth as Used In Engineering Design and Construction
materials shall mean soil, rock, and contained fluids. For the 2.2 USEPA Publications:
sake of brevity, the term “laboratory” is used in this practice to SW-846 Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste
represent all the above. Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater
1.2 This specification addresses the minimum requirements
3. Summary of Specification
for laboratories that analyze earth materials for metals, volatile
3.1 This specification covers minimum requirements for the
organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, pesti-
cides, herbicides, PCBs, radionuclides, and various other following items:
3.1.1 Organization of the laboratory and its affiliates,
parameters by miscellaneous wet chemistry techniques.
1.3 This specification presents specific criteria to be used in 3.1.2 Personnel,
3.1.3 Quality system,
an evaluation, including restrictions, minimum requirements,
and benchmarks of compliance for specific tests or for specific 3.1.4 Facilities and equipment,
3.1.5 Calibration,
types of tests.
1.4 This specification is meant only for the evaluation of 3.1.6 Test methods and procedures,
3.1.7 Records,
facilitiesperformingchemicalanalysisofearthmaterialsandis
3.1.8 Test reports, and
in no way intended to be an absolute guide. It shall not replace
specific criteria that exist for test methods or that exist as 3.1.9 Standard operating procedures.
3.2 Theitemslistedhereascriteriatobereviewedduringan
separate standards. In instances where laboratory evaluation
sections are included as part of a test method, or where specific evaluation are standard items that the laboratory shall be
following.This includes items that shall be available during an
criteria for test methods exist as separate standards, those
separate criteria should also be considered. assessment and that the laboratory personnel shall be able to
show are being completed for each analysis type.
1.5 Minimum requirements for agencies engaged in the
physical testing of soil and rock can be found in Practice
4. Significance and Use
D 3740.
4.1 This specification is meant for use when evaluating
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
laboratories engaged in chemical analysis of earth materials.
standard.
4.2 The criteria specified in this specification can be used in
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the
the process of accreditation.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
5. Organization
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
5.1 The legal name, address, and telephone number of the
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
laboratory must be available.
5.2 An organization chart that shows the following infor-
mation must be presented in the quality control manual:
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil
and Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.99 on Quality
Control.
Current edition approved August 10, 1999. Published September 1999. Origi- Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
nally published as D 5522 – 94. Last previous edition D 5522 – 99. Available from United States Environmental Protection Agency.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn. Contact ASTM
International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D 5522 – 99a
5.2.1 Ownership or membership, 6.3.7 Purge and trap analysis (GC), six months,
5.2.2 Names of affiliations, 6.3.8 Extraction and concentration expert, one year,
5.2.3 Management structure, 6.3.9 PCB and pesticide residue analysis expert, two years,
5.2.4 Principal officers, 6.3.10 General chemistry and instrumentation, six months,
5.2.5 Directors, 6.3.11 GC/MS supervisor, two years,
5.2.6 Relevant organizational components, and 6.3.12 GC/MS operator, four months full-time,
5.2.7 Principal chemists. 6.3.13 GC/MS spectral interpretation, two years,
5.3 Conflicts of interest among the various affiliations must 6.3.14 Purge and trap analyst (GC/MS), six months,
be noted in the evaluation. Such conflicts of interest should be 6.3.15 Microbiology supervisor, one year,
avoided by the laboratory. 6.3.16 Radiochemistry supervisor, five years,
5.4 External and subcontracted technical services must be 6.3.17 Radionuclides analyst, one year,
namedbythelaboratory,alongwiththeaddressesandcontacts. 6.3.18 Gross alpha/beta technician, six months,
The subcontractors must have undergone an assessment by the 6.3.19 Visible spectroscopy supervisor, two years,
laboratory and documentation of the findings must be avail- 6.3.20 Visible spectroscopist, one year,
able. These outside technical services must meet the require- 6.3.21 Spectral interpretation (visible spectroscopy), two
ments outlined in this specification for the relevant test years, and
procedures or for specific types of tests performed by the 6.3.22 Inorganic sample preparation—3 months.
subcontractor for the primary laboratory.
7. Quality System
5.5 The quality-control manual must contain a description
7.1 The quality system must be documented in a manual or
of its facilities and a summary of the scope of operations.
equivalent.
5.6 Key management and supervisory personnel in each
7.2 The quality manual must be available to all personnel.
relevant operating, support, and service unit in the laboratory’s
7.3 The quality manual shall be updated at least annually,
functional organization and the reporting relationships must be
but will always be under revision.
identified and a job description for each of these personnel
7.4 The quality manual shall contain the following:
included as part of the quality-control manual. Resumes on
7.4.1 Organizational charts,
each of these individuals must be included. Each of these
7.4.2 Staff duties including responsibilities for quality,
individuals shall understand the extent of their responsibilities.
7.4.3 Feedback and corrective action program for internal
5.7 Qualifications, accreditations, and recognition of the
problems,
laboratory by others shall be presented, along with a copy of
7.4.4 Technical complaint handling procedure,
the certifications, in the quality-control manual.
7.4.5 Policyfordocumentingproceduresandanalysismeth-
6. Personnel
ods,
6.1 The quality-control manual shall address the means by 7.4.6 Procedure for sample collection and preservation if
which all personnel will be trained. The manual shall also performed by laboratory personnel,
address the means by which the records will be maintained for 7.4.7 Procedure for sample storage and handling,
said training and work experience. 7.4.8 Quality-control requirements for each type of test,
6.2 All personnel must undergo an introduction to the 7.4.9 Procurement and inventory procedures,
quality-control manual as well as to the test procedures for 7.4.10 Policy on the operation and calibration of instru-
which they will be responsible. Appropriate documentation of ments,
this training shall be available for review. This documentation 7.4.11 Policy on preventative maintenance,
shall include any reviews along with the date of the review, a 7.4.12 Procedure for record keeping and record storage,
listing of in-house training and certifications from outside 7.4.13 Procedure for checking the reliability of data reduc-
training courses, and documented evidence of the analyst’s tion and reporting,
proficiency for each test method performed. This documenta- 7.4.14 Procedure for correcting erroneous reports, and
tionshallbeavailableforreviewuponrequest.Noanalystshall 7.4.15 Record retention policy.
perform a given test procedure without the appropriate train- 7.5 The quality-assurance (QA) manager shall have direct
ing. access to top management and operate independently of the
6.3 Each person with the following duties or titles must rest of the laboratory.
meet or be supervised by a person who meets the specified 7.6 The QA manager should have the power to oversee the
minimum experience or have an appropriate educational back- laboratory procedures, identify problems, and make recom-
ground: mendations to management.
6.3.1 Atomic absorption/ICP supervisor, two years, 7.7 A method shall exist so that any deviations or deficien-
6.3.2 Atomic absorption analysis, one year, cies in QC are reported to management and such reports are
6.3.3 Atomic absorption/ICP sample preparation, three documented.
months, 7.8 All new employees must be given a copy of the quality
6.3.4 Gas chromatography supervisor, two years, manual and be required to read it.
6.3.5 Gas chromatography analysis, six months, 7.9 All employees must be given a copy of any changes or
6.3.6 Gas chromatography spectral interpretation, two additions to the quality manual and be required to review the
years, manual at least once per year.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn. Contact ASTM
International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D 5522 – 99a
7.10 All personnel must be trained or prove proficiency for 7.31 Surrogate standards shall be added to all organic
any test method they perform. The training can either be samples and organic QC samples whenever possible.
provided in-house or by a certified training school.
7.32 Blindquality-controlsamplesshallbeanalyzedatleast
quarterly by each analyst who performs a given test.
7.11 At least quarterly, the QA manager or designee shall
conduct an internal audit of the laboratory and report his 7.33 Training records shall be maintained for all analysts.
findings to the laboratory director. 7.34 Calibration procedures shall be documented for all test
procedures and shall be available to the appropriate personnel.
7.11.1 Any problems discovered during the quarterly audit
7.35 Reference standards shall be available and in use as
shall be corrected and the steps taken to correct the problem
needed. They shall whenever possible be traceable to the
documented.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST or
7.12 All supervisory staff should be aware of the QA/QC
NBS).
system and its application to the daily activities of the
7.36 Quality control check standards shall be analyzed at
laboratory.
least once every ten samples with a minimum of one per batch
7.13 Standard curves that adequately cover the expected
and shall be within the set limits. If the limits are exceeded, all
sample concentration ranges shall be prepared at least annually
samples analyzed since that last QC standard must be reana-
or more often as required by the specific test methods. A new
lyzed.
curve shall also be prepared when new reagents are prepared.
7.37 Standard operating procedures (SOPs) shall be avail-
7.14 Standard curves shall be prepared with a minimum of
able for all test methods and all QC procedures and policies.
three standards and one blank or as specified by the method.
7.38 All test samples must be identified with unique iden-
7.15 Aprocedure shall exist such that records indicate what
tification numbers.
corrective action has taken place when analytical results fail to
7.39 Only the supervisor (or his designee) in each of the
meet QC criteria.
testing areas or their superior shall have the authority to sign
7.16 Supervisory personnel shall review the data calcula-
test reports or release test data.
tions and all QC results.
7.17 The QC data shall be retrievable for all analytical
8. Facilities and Equipment
results.
8.1 The laboratory shall be controlled with limited access.
7.18 The method detection limits for all analyses shall be
Limited access being defined as direct entrance by select
determined and the results documented.
laboratory personnel with all other access monitored in an
7.19 Computer software programs shall be documented and
appropriate manner.
validated.
8.2 The equipment shall be protected from harmful condi-
7.20 All clients shall be informed if their work is subcon-
tions such as exposure to acid fumes, extreme heat, and
tracted and to whom the work is subcontracted.
excessive dust.
7.21 All subcontract laboratories shall be evaluated for QA
8.3 The laboratory environment shall be monitored for
following the guidelines outlined in this practice.
proper air flow, ventilation, humidity, and temperature.
7.22 The laboratory shall perform routine analyses of sol-
8.4 There shall be adequate work space so that each test
vents used for dilutions and extractions to check for contami-
procedurecanbeperformedsafelyandefficientlywiththeleast
nation.
possibility for cross contamination.
7.23 The laboratory shall analyze trip blanks as requested
8.5 Thelightingshallbesuchthatalltestscanbeperformed
by the client or when necessary as indicated by associated
adequately. For example, titrimetric color changes are easily
samples.
noted.
7.24 Chain-of-custody records shall be maintained for all
8.6 Stable power supplies shall be available. Power regula-
samples and shall be reported with the data when requested.
tors shall be used for all major pieces of analytical equipment
7.25 The laboratory shall analyze either field duplicates or
such as the GC/MS.
laboratory duplicates with every group of 20 samples or once
8.7 There shall be a source of distilled/demineralized water
per analysis run, whichever is most appropriate (when physi-
that has been demonstrated to be free of interferences and
cally possible given the sample type).
contaminants at the necessary detection limits.
7.26 The precision of the duplicate analyses shall be calcu-
8.8 The conductivity of the distilled/
...
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