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SMPRs Approved for Estrone in Freshwater; AOAC Completes Endocrine Disruptors Project The AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Endocrine Disrupters (SPED) approved in September 2010 standard method performance requirements (SMPRs) for quantitative measurement of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in freshwater. These voluntary consensus standards can be used to evaluate test kit methods for their appropriateness in meeting EPA’s need for quick analytical solutions that are reliable and accurate in environmental matrixes. With SMPRs approved, AOAC successfully completed the EDC project on September 29, 2010. On March 8, 2010, AOAC launched an effort with EPA to establish SMPRs to determine EDC concentration in water. AOAC convened a stakeholder panel in July 2010, chaired by Nancy Thiex of South Dakota State University, and with about 20 experts from domestic regulatory agencies, academia, industry, test kit manufacturers, and contract research organizations, to reach consensus on standards for EDCs. Stakeholders agreed that a semiquantitative method was appropriate for screening for estrone (E1) in freshwater. Stakeholders also agreed that quantitative methods for trace compounds require the determination of the following performance parameters: precision, LOD, LOQ, and reproducibility and established minimum performance requirements for each analytical parameter. With the project ended on September 29, 2010, AOAC successfully established the analytical requirements for E1 methods; prepared a validation outline; issued a call for methods and conducted a literature search; and issued a call for collaborating laboratories. Several methods and laboratories have been identified. The voluntary consensus standards and validation reports will be published in the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, and successfully validated methods will be published in the Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Although several methods have been identified, AOAC INTERNATIONAL invites method developers to submit methods for consideration and possible evaluation through the AOAC Official MethodsSM program. Prospective methods must be able to measure 2–200 ng/L of dissolved estrone in freshwater containing up to 1000 mg/L of total suspended solids (TSS) and 1000 mg/L of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Any analytical technique will be considered. Cost and ease of use will be major considerations in the selection of methods. It is hoped that proprietary kit method developers will engage AOAC to carry out conformity assessment activities for third-party confirmation that their devices meet the standards. Alternatively, contract research organizations or other key stakeholders may decide to develop a method that meets the standards. Interested method developers should provide a description of their proposed method and data demonstrating that the proposed method (kits) can meet the performance requirements. Please submit your methods and validation data to Anita Mishra, executive for scientific business development, AOAC INTERNATIONAL Tel: +1-301-924-7077 ext. 131, e-mail: amishra@aoac.org. Full coverage appears in the September/October issue of Inside Laboratory Management.
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