ISO TS 20612-2007 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO/TS 20612:2007 — Water quality — Interlaboratory comparisons for proficiency testing of analytical chemistry laboratories. This technical specification defines criteria for conducting interlaboratory comparisons used as proficiency testing (PT) in the analysis of water, wastewater and sludge, with particular emphasis on chemical and physicochemical determinands and on requirements for PT providers and for the design, execution and evaluation of PT schemes.

Abstract

ISO/TS 20612:2007 specifies requirements and recommendations for proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparisons in the field of water quality (water, wastewater and sludge). It covers responsibilities of proficiency test providers, planning and design of interlaboratory comparisons, sample preparation and distribution, statistical evaluation of results and reporting of proficiency outcomes; it is primarily intended for determinands that can be measured on a continuous scale (chemical and physicochemical analytes).

General information

• Status: Published (Technical Specification).
• Publication date: December 2007 (Edition 1, 2007-12).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.060.45 — Examination of water in general.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2007).
• Number of pages: 25 pages.

Scope

ISO/TS 20612:2007 applies to the planning, organization and statistical evaluation of interlaboratory comparisons used as proficiency testing for analytical chemistry laboratories working on water, wastewater and sludge. It is intended for determinands that can be treated as continuous measurement quantities (most chemical and physicochemical parameters); it notes that biological and microbiological determinands may not meet the continuity assumption and therefore require special consideration. The specification addresses requirements for PT providers, scheme design, sample handling, data treatment and reporting.

Key topics and requirements

• Criteria and responsibilities for proficiency test providers (design, impartiality, documentation and reporting).
• Design and planning of interlaboratory comparison schemes appropriate for water, wastewater and sludge analyses.
• Requirements for sample preparation, homogeneity and stability assessment where applicable.
• Statistical evaluation methods for participant results (consensus values, performance indicators such as z‑scores or other appropriate statistics).
• Guidance on applicability limits — chemical/physicochemical determinands versus biological/microbiological determinands.

Typical use and users

Primary users are environmental and water‑analysis laboratories, accreditation bodies, regulators, and proficiency testing providers who operate interlaboratory comparison schemes for water, wastewater and sludge analysis. Laboratories use the specification to design or select appropriate PTs to fulfil quality assurance and accreditation requirements; PT providers use it to structure and document schemes for chemical and physicochemical determinations in water matrices. National standards institutes and commercial standards distributors list and sell the specification as a reference for these audiences.

Related standards

Relevant complementary and related standards include ISO/IEC 17043 (Conformity assessment — General requirements for proficiency testing providers) and ISO/IEC 17025 (General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories), which address provider competence and laboratory accreditation respectively; ISO/TS 20612 is a field‑specific technical specification for water‑related PT schemes and is commonly used alongside these general PT and laboratory competence standards.

Keywords

water quality, interlaboratory comparison, proficiency testing, proficiency test provider, analytical chemistry, wastewater, sludge, PT scheme design, statistical evaluation, ISO/TC 147/SC 2.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/TS 20612:2007 is a Technical Specification from ISO titled "Water quality — Interlaboratory comparisons for proficiency testing of analytical chemistry laboratories" that provides criteria for organizing and evaluating interlaboratory comparisons used as proficiency testing in the water sector.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers planning and design of PT schemes, responsibilities of PT providers, sample preparation and handling considerations (homogeneity/stability), statistical treatment of participant results and reporting practices — primarily for chemical and physicochemical determinands in water, wastewater and sludge.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Environmental and water testing laboratories, proficiency testing providers, accreditation bodies, regulators and organizations responsible for water‑quality monitoring and compliance often use this TS to design or evaluate PTs for analytical methods in aqueous matrices.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/TS 20612 was published in December 2007 as Edition 1 and remains published as a Technical Specification in the ISO registry. ISO periodically reviews documents; as recorded by ISO the document has undergone review cycles since publication and is retained as published (no replacement international standard is recorded on the ISO entry). Users should consult their national standards body or the ISO catalogue for the absolute current status at the time of their enquiry.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is issued under the work of ISO/TC 147/SC 2 (physical, chemical and biochemical methods for water analysis) and sits alongside other ISO documents on water sampling, analysis and quality assurance; it is not a numbered "part" of a single multi‑part standard but is a field‑specific TS that complements general PT and laboratory competence standards such as ISO/IEC 17043 and ISO/IEC 17025.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Water quality, interlaboratory comparison, proficiency testing, analytical chemistry, wastewater, sludge, PT provider, homogeneity, stability, statistical evaluation.