Elite - Professional Training & Development

Laboratories invest heavily in instruments and calibration, yet many out-of-specification results, failed proficiency tests and customer disputes trace back to sample preparation. Samples arrive unrepresentative or poorly preserved, subsampling is not controlled, extraction and digestion methods are applied without understanding their limits, contamination and analyte loss go unnoticed, and preparation steps are left out of validation and uncertainty estimates.

This programme follows the sample from collection to the prepared test portion. It moves through five stages: sampling and sample integrity, physical preparation and subsampling, chemical preparation methods for different matrices and analytes, control of contamination and losses, and quality assurance of the whole preparation process.

Built on recognised practice. The programme references ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for sampling, handling of test items and assuring the validity of results, Eurachem guidance on method validation and on measurement uncertainty arising from sampling, and good laboratory practice for chain of custody and records. Participants learn how to apply these requirements to their own preparation procedures.

Decisions this programme improves. Which preparation method suits a given matrix and analyte; how much sample is needed and how to subsample it; which preservation and storage conditions protect the result; which blanks, spikes and reference materials to include in a batch; when a preparation step must be validated or revalidated; and how to investigate a suspect result.

How it is delivered. Twenty hours across five sessions, built around worked case studies from environmental, food, petroleum and industrial laboratories. Participants review preparation procedures, design quality control for a batch and investigate a result that failed a proficiency test.

In-house option. For organisations, the programme can be tailored to your own matrices, methods, instruments and quality procedures, and can include a review of selected standard operating procedures with your laboratory team.

Who Should Attend

Laboratory analysts and technicians who prepare and analyse samples

Laboratory supervisors and section heads responsible for methods and results

Quality managers in testing laboratories operating under ISO/IEC 17025

Sampling staff in environmental, industrial and field operations

Chemists and scientists developing or validating analytical methods

Objectives

Explain how sampling and preparation contribute to total measurement error

Specify sample collection, containers, preservation and holding conditions for common analyses

Maintain sample integrity, identification and chain of custody records

Apply drying, grinding, homogenisation and subsampling to obtain representative test portions

Select an extraction, digestion or clean-up method suited to the matrix and analyte

Identify sources of contamination and analyte loss and set controls to prevent them

Design batch quality control using blanks, spikes, duplicates and reference materials

Include sample preparation in method validation and measurement uncertainty estimates

Write or revise a clear sample preparation standard operating procedure

Investigate an unexpected result and trace possible causes in the preparation chain

Course Outline

Sampling and Sample Integrity

Why sample preparation often dominates measurement error
Sampling plans, representativeness and heterogeneity
Containers, preservation, holding times and storage conditions
Sample receipt, acceptance criteria and identification
Chain of custody and records for regulatory and legal work
Laboratory safety when handling hazardous samples

Physical Preparation and Subsampling

Drying, grinding, sieving and particle size reduction
Homogenisation of solids, liquids and mixed matrices
Riffling, coning and quartering and other subsampling methods
Test portion size and its effect on precision
Weighing, volumetric practice and balance checks
Avoiding changes to the sample during physical preparation

Chemical Preparation Methods

Acid digestion, microwave digestion and fusion for elemental analysis
Liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction
QuEChERS and other extraction approaches for residues
Clean-up, concentration and solvent exchange
Derivatisation and preparation for chromatography
Matching preparation to the instrument and detection limits
Reducing solvent and reagent use: greener preparation options

Controlling Contamination and Losses

Sources of contamination: reagents, vessels, environment and people
Cleaning of labware and control of the preparation area
Analyte loss through volatility, adsorption and degradation
Cross-contamination between high and low level samples
Carry-over and memory effects
Reagent and consumable quality checks

Quality Assurance of Sample Preparation

ISO/IEC 17025 requirements that apply to sample handling and preparation
Batch quality control: method blanks, spikes, duplicates and matrix reference materials
Recovery, precision and control charts
Including preparation in method validation and measurement uncertainty
Automation, LIMS tracking and data integrity
Investigating out-of-specification results and proficiency test failures
Action plan: improving preparation practice in your laboratory

Competencies

Sampling plans and sample integrity control

Sample preservation, storage and chain of custody

Homogenisation and subsampling

Extraction, digestion and clean-up methods

Contamination and analyte loss control

Batch quality control design

Method validation including sample preparation

Measurement uncertainty from sampling and preparation

Standard operating procedure writing for sample preparation

Kuwait

Train in Kuwait City with access to Elite Academy’s full portfolio of professional programs. In a city known as a key Gulf business and government center with an established professional environment, organizations and professionals can join upcoming courses or request any program to be arranged locally. Professional training in Kuwait City is not limited to a specific group of subjects. Elite Academy makes its complete portfolio available in the city across management, business, technical and industry-focused disciplines. With a key Gulf business and government center with an established professional environment, Kuwait City provides an effective setting for international learning. Use the schedule below to view courses already planned for the destination, or contact our team to request another program and preferred dates in Kuwait City, subject to scheduling and delivery requirements.

Sample Development and Preparation in Analytical Laboratories