Lab Matters Summer 2018 | Page 35

membership
• “Once we become ISO accredited,
maintaining that will be a challenge,”
said Jarvis. The laboratory lost one
scientist position due to a local
economic downturn, and remaining
staff will “have to figure out how to
keep all the quality processes in place
and improving.”
Microbiology and Water Chemistry Supervisor Grant Campbell
loads identification cards on the Vitek 2 Compact for
confirmation testing on proficiency samples. Photo: WDA Laboratory Scientist II Kristine Oolman analyzes data from a
Metrohm Ion Chromatography run on a groundwater sample
submitted by a conservation district. Photo: WDA
minerals and metals. Jesse said, “We’ve
done studies of both foraged and browsed
feed quality for livestock and wildlife. The
state game and fish agency and private
farmers and ranchers like to know the
range quality of what’s available. Not
many laboratories do this work.” • Earning an FDA Manufactured Food
Regulatory Program Standard award in
2015.
The laboratory’s single highest volume
test area, however, is water, including
surface water, well water and municipal
drinking and wastewater. In addition to
bacteriological analyses, much of this
work employs inductively coupled plasma
mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure
heavy metals and ion chromatography to
measure nitrates, sulfates and fluorides.
The second largest test area is meat.
Jarvis explained, “The state has a contract
with the US Department of Agriculture
to test meat from meat packing plants
for Salmonella, Listeria, and Shiga toxin-
producing E. coli.”
Another high-volume area is pesticide
testing to support investigations of
possible pesticide misuse and to measure
chemical residues on grains and other
food commodities before they are shipped
across state lines to customers like beer
breweries.
Success Stories
• Bringing a laboratory with “few
established systems and no standard
operating procedures” up to ISO 17025
standards. The laboratory has already
undergone an ISO pre-assessment
and expects to be fully ISO-certified
by fall 2018. Jarvis said, “This is a big
deal for us. And I’d like to thank the
food laboratories across the nation
that have shared forms with us and
offered advice and moral support. Their
generous help propelled us forward
and saved us a lot of time.”
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
• Greatly reducing customer complaints,
mostly related to turn-around-time. For
example, ICP-MS analyses for heavy
metals once took up to six months to
report; today, that work is completed in
one to two weeks.
• Bringing on gas chromatography
mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and
expanding liquid chromatography
mass spectrometry capabilities
in the last two years. Said Jesse,
“Determination of pesticide residue
in food by GC-MS is on the scope of
accreditation we’re working toward.”
However, he noted, “Some of our
more interesting GC-MS samples
are related to bee investigations: the
Department of Agriculture licenses and
oversees apiaries and beehives, and we
investigate complaints of pesticides
affecting apiaries in the state.”
• Acquiring wireless tablets for staff to
complete worksheets and do sample
tracking.
• Training new staff. Last summer both
of the laboratory’s microbiologists
moved on, and Jarvis and Quality
Assurance coordinator Giulia Vernati,
MS, returned to bench duty for nine
months while recruitment was
ongoing. Those positions are now
filled with “great staff,” but “it’s still a
training process,” said Jarvis. “It just
takes time to rebuild the program
to a different level. It is much more
structured now than it ever has been.”
Goals
• Making better use of the facility’s
LabWorks © laboratory information
management system, especially to
enhance customer results reports.
• Adding to the laboratory’s initial ISO
17025 scope of accreditation.
• Adopting new instrumentation and
methods as funding allows.
• Continuing to support and appreciate
laboratory staff. Jarvis said, “They are
hardworking, fun and enterprising,
they have been more than willing to
do cross-training, and they can keep
equipment working longer than I’ve
ever seen. We turn out high quality
data only because of them.” n
Challenges
• Getting samples to the laboratory.
“Because of harsh winter weather, we
always have transportation issues,” said
Jarvis. “We’re in a location where on
either side of us they close the highway
frequently because of blowing snow
and ice.” In fact, winter temperatures
of -20°F are not unusual, and snow
may fall in any month of the year.
While most samples are dropped off by
Department of Agriculture inspectors,
Jarvis said, “We are big customers of
UPS and FedEx, but those trucks get
stuck just like everyone else.”
APHL.org
Laboratory Assistant Michelle Webber prepares media slants
for pathogen identification on meat samples using a Jencons
peristaltic pump. Photo: WDA
Summer 2018 LAB MATTERS
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