With a new record of 102 laboratories from 19 countries participating, the first Laboratory Performance Assessment Residue Monitoring was held this year. The test matrix to be examined: Kohlrabi. 90 laboratories and thus 88% of the participants passed the test. In addition, 67 of these laboratories (66%) identified and quantified all active ingredients without error, including 59 QS recognized laboratories.
In total, 77 of the 78 laboratories recognized and participating in the QS scheme passed the test. Only one laboratory is obliged to pass the next performance assessment 2023/2.
Furthermore, 12 of the 22 laboratories in the recognition procedure successfully participated in the laboratory performance assessment 2023/1 as well as one of two third-party laboratories that took the test on a voluntary basis.
About the test design
Kohlrabi (tuber without leaves) is an easy matrix to analyze. Challenging here was the analysis at low contents near the limit of quantification as well as high contents and a metabolite analysis for spirotetramat-enol. The three test materials, which varied slightly in terms of active substance concentration and composition and of which each participant received one at random, each had to be analyzed for eight active substances. These included two active substances (fluazinam, metobromuron) that had not previously been tested in any of the QS laboratory performance assessments. Of these eight active substances, seven had to be collected using the multi-method and one active substance (chlorate) using the single method.
The results of the laboratory performance assessment 2023/1 and in particular the analytical anomalies as well as anomalies from the test reports submitted along with the results of the pending test 2023/2 will be discussed next year at the laboratory managers meeting 2024 in Berlin. Further results in detail can be found here:
