Editorial Quality into the next century This issue features a number of articles that are based on key papers presented at the QUASIMEME±QUASH Conference held at Egmond aan Zee The Netherlands October 6±9 1999. As ``quality control and assurance'' QUASIMEME±QUASH The QUASIMEME Project was born out of the Ministerial Conference on the North Sea held in London in 1987. It began as an EU funded project in 1992 with 89 laboratories drawn from around Europe. When the EU funds terminated in 1996 the participants elected to develop the programme by subscription and by opening the membership worldwide. Over the four years since 1996 the participation has expanded to 29 different countries and 215 laboratories. Since 1996 QUASIMEME has provided a conÆdential service to all subscribing laboratories worldwide which make chemical measurements in themarine and estuarine environments.1±5 QUASIMEME is much more than a proÆciency testing scheme.Laboratory Box 1 Seawater and estuarine water Nutrients trace metals organochlorine pesticides and volatile organochlorines (VOCs) organophosphorus pesticides triazine herbicides and phenoxy acids Sediment and biological matrices Trace metals polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) organochlorine pesticides chlorinated dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Biological effects measurements Imposex and intersex in marine snailsa Development exercises Chlorobornanes (Toxaphene) in biota Organotins in biota sediment and seawater Chlorophylla a In collaboration with the EU Project ``BEQUALM'' a quality assurance programme for biological effects on marine species.This journal is # The Royal Society of Chemistry 2000 constitutes an important subject area for JEM we have asked David E. Wells QUASIMEME (Quality Assurance of Information for Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe) Project Manager and QUASH (Quality Assurance of Sampling and Sample Handling) Coordinator from the FRS Marine Performance Studies (LPSs) are organised according to the ISO 43 and provide external Quality Assurance (QA) to support quality management and quality measurement. Participants may use the QUASIMEME assessment of study data to validate internal laboratory QA provide support to accreditation or furnish QA for environmental monitoring data for either national or international programmes.The QUASIMEME LPSs routinely include the following chemical measurements at concentration ranges which reØect those found in estuarine coastal or open water areas (see Box 1) QUASIMEME also coordinates a number of Development Exercises which comprise a stepwise series of News Laboratory Aberdeen UK to provide some context for these papers and to give a brief history of the QUASIMEME/QUASH Projects and the activities conducted under their umbrella. Harpal Minhas Managing Editor interlaboratory studies for new methods for chemical or biochemical measurements. They provide a basis for method performance studies e.g.the Smedes' method for lipid determination.6 QUASIMEME has international recognition and the support from the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPAR) Mediterranean Pollution Monitoring and Research Programme (MEDPOL) Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) the InternationalCouncil for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) the European Co-operation for Accredited Laboratories (EAL) and a number of NationalMarineMonitoringProgrammes ofmember countries.Currently the project is administered by FRSMarine 69N J. Environ. Monit. 2000 2 Laboratory Aberdeen UK with a core staff of 4 scientists and administratorswith an International ScientiÆc Assessment Group and an Advisory Board whose members comprise representatives of the key internationalmarine regulatory bodies in Europe.The QUASH project focuses on sample collection,handling andpretreatment.4,5 It evolved as an obvious development within a holistic structure of qualitymanagement. QUASHstudies have been conducted on a wide scale with 15±17 laboratories throughout Europe. This has enabled muchof the collaborativeprogrammetobe designedasa seriesofmethodperformance studies.Examples include evaluationof the preservation of nutrients in seawater reliable measurement of lipid content in 70N J. Environ. Monit. 2000 2 relation to the determination of organic contaminants,6 and the analysis of sediment fractions for trace elements and organic contaminants.Anultimate goal of such interlaboratory studies is to provide clear guidelines to commissions and marine monitoring organizations. In addition to routine LPSs development exercises and small hands-on workshops QUASIMEME and QUASH hold a review conference approximately every three years. The Ærst was held in Crieff,Scotland in 1996andthe conference at Egmond aan Zee was the second. References 1 D. E. Wells and and W. P. CoÆno in Quality Assurance in Environmental Monitoring Sampling and Sample Pretreatment ed. Ph. Quevauviller VCH Weinheim 1995 pp. 255±290. 2 QUASIMEME Quality Measurements for Marine Monitoring Review of the EU Project 1993±1996 ed. G. Topping Mar. Pollut. Bul. 1997 35 (1±6). 3 D. E. Wells A. Aminot J. De Boer W. CoÆno D. Kirkwood and B. Pedersen Mar. Pollut. Bull. 1997 35 3. 4 D. E. Wells and W. P. CoÆno Mar. Pollut. Bull. 1997 35 10. 5 D. E. Wells and W. P. CoÆno Mar. Pollut. Bull. 1997 35 146. 6 F. Smedes Analyst 1999 124 1711. David E.Wells E-mail quasiememe@marlab.ac.uk Web site http://www.quasimeme.marlab.ac.uk/