Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL › Part V - Preventive Health Services › Subpart 28 - Drinking Water Laboratories › Chapter 80 - Certification of Laboratories Performing Drinking Water Analyses › Subchapter D - Criteria and Procedures for Radiological/Radiochemical Testing and Analysis › Section V-8081 - General Laboratory Practices [Formerly Section 8079]

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Chemicals/Reagents. Chemicals and reagents
					 used must meet the specifications in the referenced method. If not specified
					 therein, then analytical reagent (AR) grade or American Chemical Society (ACS)
					 grade chemicals or better shall be used for analyses in certified
					 laboratories.
B. Reagent Water. The
					 laboratory shall have a source of reagent water meeting the requirements of
					 being an American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) Type 1, 2, or 3 reagent
					 water, having a minimum resistivity of 10 megohms-cm (conductivity less than
					 0.1 microhoms/cm) at 25°C. It shall be monitored daily by measuring the
					 reagent water's conductivity or resistivity and documented. Radioactive
					 components have been known to break through reagent water manufacturing units
					 before an increase in resistivity is noted. To monitor the background
					 radioactivity of the reagent water, it is to be screened for radioactivity each
					 time the treatment unit is serviced, and periodically thereafter depending on
					 the volume of reagent water use at the laboratory between servicing
					 units.
C. Glassware Preparation.
					 Specific requirements in the methods for the cleaning of glassware must be
					 followed. The purpose of these requirements are to minimize the possibility
					 that glassware can contaminate samples, and should include acid rinsing. Acid
					 rinsing not only mobilizes any metals remaining adhering to their surfaces, but
					 also hydrates the outer silica layer on the glassware which inhibits
					 contamination with radioactive materials. If there are no specifications for
					 cleaning glassware in the method, then the glassware should first be washed in
					 detergent solution, then thoroughly rinsed in tap water followed by a second
					 rinse in a dilute acid solution, and finally rinsed with reagent water and
					 dried.
D. Distilled and deionized
					 water shall have at a minimum, resistivity values between 0.5 to 2.0 megohms-cm
					 (2.0 to 0.5 micromhos/cm.) at 25° C. Preferably, distilled and deionized
					 water should have resistivity values greater than 1.0 megohms-cm (less than 1.0
					 micromhos/cm) at 25°C. When purchasing distilled or deionized water,
					 laboratories should request a list of quality specifications for the water
					 purchased. Containers of distilled or deionized water should be capped when not
					 in use and should be capped immediately after each use.
E. All solutions shall be properly labeled
					 with identification of the compound, concentration, solvent, date, and analyst
					 who prepared the solution.
F. All
					 chemicals, solutions, and standards, shall be dated upon receipt by the
					 laboratory; and the date opened by the laboratory shall also be
					 noted.
G. Compositing of Samples.
					 If deemed acceptable by the department, samples may be composited by the
					 utility or the laboratory, provided that all the sample aliquots are properly
					 preserved at the time of collection. Since the required compliance protocol
					 monitoring measurements is "total activity" (i.e., the composited sample is
					 required to represent the maximum potential exposure from drinking water),
					 samples shall not to be filtered before preservation. Samples must be drawn on
					 a quarterly basis and where compositing is not done by the laboratory, there
					 shall be documentation submitted with the composited sample detailing on what
					 particular day(s) each aliquot was obtained, its volume, and when it was
					 preserved. A sample of the preservative itself shall accompany the composited
					 sample to the laboratory to determine the contribution of radioactivity, if
					 any, from the addition of the preservative to the sample. Analysis of the
					 composited sample shall be completed within 1 year after the first sample is
					 collected or within normal holding times if the compositing period is less than
					 90 days. Wherever possible, the laboratory should be responsible for managing
					 the compositing of samples.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
						Promulgated in accordance with
						R.S.
						36:254(B)(7).