The organisers of the WWEM 2008 event in Telford, 5-6 November, have announced that the conference themes will include Mcerts schemes for water and soil sampling and analysis in the laboratory.
WWEM events provide the latest information on key issues including: new test and monitoring technology; the latest EU and UK regulations; and applications and case studies In order to improve the quality and reliability of environmental emissions monitoring.
The Environment Agency of England and Wales (EA) has developed a monitoring certification scheme known as Mcerts, which will feature in several of the conference and workshop presentations.
The scheme is based upon the premise that quality data is dependent upon the proper use of methods, standards, services and equipment, trained and qualified personnel, effective planning, quality assurance and quality control.
Commenting on the importance of Mcerts, EA chief executive Dr Paul Leinster said: 'The Environment Agency is committed to protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales and our Monitoring Certification Scheme, Mcerts, helps us to achieve this by giving us confidence in monitoring data provided by operators.
'It makes clear what we expect, whether monitoring emissions to air, discharges to water or analysing soils.
'Mcerts covers monitoring equipment, laboratories carrying out testing, and effluent flow monitoring arrangements.
'It is already mandatory as a condition in many of the permits we issue and will be extended to others in the future as part of our commitment to modernising regulation.' Mcerts is well established in the air emissions monitoring sector and is extending to the water sector and beyond.
Instrumentation specialist Quantitech supplies air monitoring equipment and commenting on his experience, managing director Keith Golding said: 'The Mcerts scheme is so well established in the monitoring of emissions to air that it is now virtually impossible to compete in the instrumentation market unless your instruments are Mcerts approved.' One of the conference speakers, Debbie Hudson from Ukas, will deliver a presentation that will outline the requirements for gaining Mcerts accreditation and the procedures for doing so in water sampling and analysis.
Jeff Ruddle, also from Ukas, will provide an update on the progress of Mcerts in the soil analysis sector outlining the scheme's benefits for regulators, laboratories and their customers.
The importance of sampling, its effects on the uncertainty of data and possibilities for reducing the uncertainty will also be discussed.
In addition, Colin Green from Qros will outline the difficulties in interpreting laboratory data for risk assessment and waste classification as a result of the non-homogeneity of soil on contaminated sites.
He will also demonstrate how the integration of on-site analysis and soil sampling under an Mcerts umbrella can minimise this problem.
The conference themes will be repeated on both days and over 70 workshops will run throughout the event.
Laboratory water analysis has been an important theme in previous WWEM events, but the new Mcerts scheme for lab testing, in addition to that for soils, raises the profile of the lab sector at WWEM even further.
This is reflected in the growing list of leading companies from within the laboratory sector that will participate in the exhibition and in a number of the workshops.
The latest information on all of the Mcerts schemes will be available at WWEM 2008.
