POTABLE WATER CONTAMINATION EMERGENCY: THE ANALYTICAL CHALLENGE

摘要

In the event of a potable water contamination incident, a laboratory will be called upon to rapidly identify any contaminants present often with very little information as to the source of contamination.1'2'3 With this in mind in 1997 the Laboratory Environmental Analysis Proficiency (LEAP) Emergency Scheme was established. The primary function of this scheme was to test the ability of a laboratory to analyse chemical samples for unknown contaminants from a simulated potable water contamination incident. The scheme is now administered by The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), which is an executive agency of UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).