title: Evaluation of the performance of Italian laboratories in the determination of cadmium levels in blood.
abstract: The measurement of the blood cadmium level is necessary for the biological monitoring of workers or of general populations that are thought to be professionally or environmentally exposed to cadmium. However, since the levels of interest are exceedingly low, the analytical determinations involve considerable problems. With the aim of comparing the performances of the Italian laboratories in the blood cadmium levels determination, a working group of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) promoted in 1983 a quality control program including the provision of materials for the internal quality control and the performance of bi-monthly or quarterly exercises for the external quality control. The promoting laboratory provided the preparation and distribution of the samples to the laboratories and the processing of the data at the end of each exercise. A global and more thorough evaluation of the performances of each laboratory was carried out at the end of each phase (lasting at least one year), including a graphical evaluation of the results of each laboratory according to a predetermined acceptability criterion and the linear regression analysis. Of the 20 participating laboratories, approximately 50% obtained acceptable results for at least 80% of the examined samples. The mean relative inaccuracy decreased from 36% in the first phase to 20% in the last one. To improve analytical performances, both technologically advanced instrumentations and experienced personnel seem to be necessary.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patriarca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taggi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D002417:Cattle; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007558:Italy; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium