BEQUALM QA/QC Programme: Whole organism component
The Biological Effects Quality Assurance in Monitoring Programmes (BEQUALM) project was initiated in 1998 as an EU funded research programme http://www.bequalm.org/eu_project.htm. This project developed appropriate quality standards for a wide range of biological effects techniques and initiated the creation of a self-financing Quality Assurance (QA) system for national and international monitoring programmes. This scheme comprises three components: biomarkers, whole organism and benthic community analysis. Cefas is the lead laboratory responsible for establishing a QA programme for whole organisms, which includes training workshops, intercalibration exercises and reporting the results. Further information about the programme can be found at www.bequalm.org.
Cefas Technology Ltd manages on behalf of the BEQUALM project office providing registration and payment administration of the whole organism component of the BEQUALM QA/QC programme.