Quality

In 2015, UT2A conducted a satisfaction survey among a hundred industrial and academic partners. 98% of the surveyed customers evaluated UT2A services as “satisfactory” or “very satisfactory”.

Quality environment

UT2A has implemented since 2010 a quality environment based on the Good Laboratory and Manufacturing Practices (GLP/GMP):

Drafting of a quality assurance manual (available upon request)

Samples, analysis and results traceability

Metrological control of the laboratory material (balances, pipettes, temperature of the storage sites and of the mineralization devices)

Tracking of the measurement instrument performances with the requirement of optimal performances associated to an IQ/OQ qualification of the heavy equipment (ICP MS, ICP AES, ionic chromatography…)

Approvals and quality agreements

Regular audits from pharmaceutical companies and implementation of quality agreements with large pharmaceutical groups.

For example, UT2A has been approved by SAFRAN TURBOMECA.

Inter-laboratory tests

UT2A regularly participates in different inter-laboratory tests whose results are available upon request:

Proficiency testing programs since 2010

  • proficiency program 32 from the BIPEA : trace elements in food products
  • proficiency program 34 from the BIPEA : trace elements in drinking water

Inter-comparison studies as part of European projects

  • titanium NPs in sunscreen (PROSAFE project)
  • As, Hg and Sn chemical forms and elemental contents in oyster tissues (Interreg ORQUE SUDOE project)

Inter-comparison studies organized by the CCQM of the European union

  • CCQM P-39 and K-43 campaign : determination of methylmercury in fish and tuna tissues
  • CCQM P-18 campaign : determination of tributyltin in a sediment
  • CCQM P-86 campaign : determination of total Se and selenomethionine in yeasts

Inter-comparison studies organized by the CEN as part of the development of analytical norms

  • Determination of mono methylmercury in food of marine origin by GC-ICP-ID-MS (pr-CEN/TC 275)
  • Determination of hexavalent chromium in solid material by alkaline digestion and ion chromatography with spectrophotometric detection (EN 15192)

Inter-comparison campaigns or certified reference materials certification for large metrologic institutes

  • NIST (Charleston, USA) : intercomparison campaigns on trace elements analysis in cetacean tissues (from 2001 to 2007)
  • IRMM (Geel, Belgium) : certification of the ERM-CE 477 (butyltins in mussel tissue), of the BCR-424 (butyltins in  harbor sediment), of the BCR-462 (butyltins in  coastal sediment), of the ERM-668 and 669 (rare earth elements in  mussel and tuna tissue), of the BCR-679 (trace elements in  cabbage), of the RM-604 (inorganic selenium in an aqueous solution), of the BCR-710 (HG, Sn, Se and As compounds in oyster tissue), of ERM-EB074 and 075 (trace elements in metallic copper) and of the ERM-CA400 (total mercury in sea water).
  • NRCC (Ottawa, Canada) : certification of the SELM-1 (total Se and selenomethionine in selenized yeast)

Stability studies of the following certified reference materials sold by the IRMM (Geel, Belgium) since 2000

  • ERM-CE477 : butyltins in mussel tissues
  • BCR-462 : butyltins in coastal sediment
  • BCR-646 : butyl and phenyltins in freshwater sediments
  • BCR-545 : Cr(VI) and total leachable Cr in dust on filters
  • IRMM-804 : As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in rice flour
  • CR-668 : rare earth elements in mussel tissue
  • BCR-505 : trace elements in estuarine water
  • BCR-627 : arsenobetaïne and DMA in  tuna fish