Accreditation Structure

From its inception in 1986, the Laboratory Certification & Registration Program used a "test category-test" certification structure. In addition, there were basically two certifications, one for drinking water (test category 18), and the other to cover virtually all other matrices (all categories except 18).

The department now certifies and registers laboratories by specific fields of accreditation. Accreditation is offered as either certification or registration.

With the 2008 revisions to NR 149, we are changing to a 3-tier structure which begins with matrix. Certification matrices offered will be Aqueous, Solid, and Drinking Water. The complete 3-tier structure for Aqueous and Solid matrices will be "matrix—technology—analyte (or analyte group)". For Drinking Water, the structure will be "matrix—method—analyte (or analyte group)".

The EPA required states to certify by individual methodology for drinking water parameters several years ago, so for labs testing drinking water, program structural changes will be more cosmetic.

3-Tier System

Tier 1: Matrix (Options= Aqueous, Solid, Drinking Water)
Tier 2: Technology (Aqueous and Solid) or Method (Drinking Water)
Tier 3: Analyte (or analyte group)

Aqueous and Solid Matrices

Matrix

Technology

Analyte (or analyte group)

View a complete list of accreditations offered for the Aqueous matrix
View a complete list of accreditations offered for the Solid matrix

Drinking Water Matrix

Matrix

Methody

Analyte (or analyte group)

View a complete list of accreditations offered for the Drinking Water matrix

Classes

"Analytical class" means a set of analytes or analyte groups of similar behavior or composition, or a set of analytes or analyte groups regulated under the same provisions of the federal safe drinking water act, that is used to organize the third tier of certification or registration.

Largely, classes are used to facilitate review of certificates by end users. The use of these classes allows us to "group" like parameters in a logical sequence for placement on a certificate. For drinking water, the class is also used as the basis for fee assessment instead of technology, as is used for aqueous and solid matrices)

Aqueous and Solid Matrices

Laboratories analyzing aqueous and solid matrices may be certified or registered for analyte groups belonging to the analytical classes:

• General Chemistry
• Metals
• Base, Neutral, and Acid Extractable Semivolatile Compounds, including but not limited to:
• Aldehydes and Ketones
• Benzidines
• Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
• Haloethers
• Nitroaromatics and Cyclic Ketones
• Nitrosamines
• Nonhalogenated Organics
• Phenols
• Phthalate Esters
• Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Explosive Residues
• Pesticides and their metabolites, including, but not limited to:
• Acid Herbicides
• Nitrogen
• N-Methyl Carbamates and Substituted Ureas
• Organochlorine
• Organophosphorus
• Triazines
• Pesticides Not Otherwise Specified
• Petroleum Hydrocarbons
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (as Aroclors, and as Congeners)
• Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Furans
• Volatile Organic Compounds

Drinking Water Matrix

Laboratories analyzing drinking water may be certified for analytes or analyte groups belonging to the following analytical classes:

• Disinfection Byproducts
• Primary Inorganic Contaminants (Non-Metals)
• Primary Inorganic Contaminants (Metals)
• Secondary Contaminants (Non-Metals)
• Secondary Contaminants (Metals)
• Synthetic Organic Contaminants (SOC) - Dioxin
• SOC - Organochlorine Pesticides
• SOC - N/P Pesticides
• SOC - Herbicides
• SOC - Miscellaneous
• Trihalomethanes (THM)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

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