CEN Guide 13:2008

Validation of environmental test methods

Scope

This document provides guidance on the validation tasks in the standardisation process of environmental test methods.
It deals with the two main steps of such validation tasks, the robustness testing and the interlaboratory testing (determining the repeatability and reproducibility), both interacting with the elaboration of the draft standards as shown in the flow chart given in clause 2.1. It applies to the different inter-related phases of the environmental test methods, typically sampling and production of a laboratory sample, storage and transportation of the laboratory sample, extraction, analysis or quantification of a test portion and finally reporting. Consequently this document focuses on the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of validation tasks in direct relation to the different steps of the standardisation process. This document is focussed on the validation tasks in the standardisation process of reference methods either for the whole measurement process or for part thereof.
Given the guidance aim of this document, it does not contain detailed procedures for performing the validation tasks (such as number of laboratories, number of samples, etc.).