Title: Section 55-2.12 - Contract laboratory protocol personnel: qualifications

55-2.12 Contract laboratory protocol personnel: qualifications.

(a) To gain or maintain approval for contract laboratory protocol analyses, an environmental laboratory shall employ full-time employees qualified to perform the following functions, as set forth in the protocol:

(1) Laboratory supervisor in the specialties of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography (GC), and/or inorganics shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and three (3) years of relevant laboratory experience, including one year in a supervisory capacity.

(2) GC/MS operator shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and one year of experience in operating and maintaining a GC/MS data system. Three (3) years of experience in operating and maintaining a GC/MS data system may be substituted for the educational requirement.

(3) Mass spectral interpretation specialist shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, who has successfully completed a specialized training course in mass spectral interpretation and has at least two (2) years of experience in mass spectral interpretation.

(4) Pesticide residue analysis expert shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and two (2) years of experience in operating and maintaining a gas chromatograph, and interpreting gas chromatograms.

(5) Organic sample preparation supervisor shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and at least three (3) years of organic laboratory experience, including at least one year in a supervisory capacity.

(6) Extraction/concentration expert shall be a person with at least a high school diploma, including one course in chemistry and one year of experience in an analytical chemistry laboratory.

(7) Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopist shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, who has successfully completed specialized training courses in ICP spectroscopy and has two (2) years of applied experience in ICP analysis of environmental samples.

(8) ICP operator shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and one year of experience in the operation and maintenance of ICP instrumentation; or, in lieu of the educational requirement, four (4) years of experience in operating and maintaining ICP instrumentation;

(9) Atomic absorption (AA) operator shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and at least one year of experience in operating and maintaining AA instrumentation for flame, graphite furnace and cold vapor techniques; or, in lieu of the educational requirement, three (3) years of experience in operating and maintaining AA instrumentation as described in this paragraph.

(10) Inorganic sample preparation specialist shall be a person with at least a high school diploma, successful completion of a college-level course in general chemistry or its equivalent, and six (6) months of experience in an analytical laboratory.

(11) Classical techniques analyst shall be a person with at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, and six (6) months of experience in classical chemistry laboratory procedures; or, in lieu of the education requirement, two and one-half (2 1/2) years of experience performing classical chemistry analyses.

(b) Each environmental laboratory seeking approval or wishing to maintain approval for contract laboratory protocol analysis shall have sufficient technical staff to provide continuous coverage, as appropriate, for the functions described in subdivision (a) of this section. The person or persons designated as back-up technical staff shall have at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the physical sciences, in addition to the following minimum experience:

(1) for organic chemistry protocols: one year of experience in each of the following areas: GC/MS operation and maintenance, for volatile and semi-volatile analyses; mass spectral interpretation; extraction; and pesticide analyses; or

(2) for inorganic chemistry protocols: one year of experience in each of the following areas: ICP operation and maintenance; AA operation and maintenance; classical chemistry analytical procedures; and sample preparation for inorganic analyses.
Note: Requirements for laboratories engaged in testing for critical agents in environmental samples, set forth in 55-2.13 adopted as an emergency regulation, shall continue in effect as promulgated, repromulgated and/or finally adopted in accordance with the State Administrative Procedure Act.