Comparative Assessment of Physico-Chemical Results of Air, Water and Soil Samples Tested at Accredited and Non-accredited Laboratories

Abstract

There are thousands of results produced by the environmental testing laboratory for the air, water and soil parameters. The results produced by the environmental testing laboratories are always basis of the policy decision on various occasions. The results produced by the environmental testing laboratory provide the basis for the water whether it is fit for drinking purposes or not. The soil of a particular area is fit for specific agriculture or not. Similarly, the air of a specific location is under the permissible limit of the required component or not. Over some time the environmental testing laboratories are increasing in our county and these laboratories can be segregated broadly into two categories namely accredited laboratories and non-accredited laboratories. The accreditation is done by the independent authoritative body as per the international standard ISO/IEC 17025. It is believed that the accredited laboratory has a quality management system and proven technical competence to perform a specific type of testing. This work presents the comparative studies of the physico-chemical results of air, water and soil samples tested by accredited and non-accredited laboratories. In case of soil, the pH and sulfate is tested by the accredited and non-accredited laboratories in the specific environment. Similarly, construction water and drinking water are tested for various parameters as per the relevant standard. The air samples were collected from the same site and analysis was done for the various parameters like PM2.5, PM10 and other toxic gases present in air. It is observed that there is a considerable difference between the results produced by the accredited and non-accredited laboratories. It is believed that the results produced by the accredited laboratory are more reliable in comparison to the non-accredited laboratory.