About BEQUALM

The Biological Effects Quality Assurance in Monitoring Programmes (BEQUALM) project was initiated in 1998 as an EU funded research programme. This project aimed to develop appropriate quality standards for a wide range of biological effects techniques and devise a method for monitoring compliance of laboratories generating data from these techniques for national and international monitoring programmes. The ultimate goal of this programme was to develop a Quality Assurance (QA) system for biological effects techniques, particularly for those laboratories that submit monitoring data to national and international databases e.g. ICES. The research programme was completed in April 2002 and a summary report outlines the aims, results and conclusions of this work. The final programme was launched in September 2004.

BEQUALM is currently led by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). Cefas and NIVA coordinate proficiency testing and workshops through the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Expert Working Group on the Biological Effects of Contaminants (WGBEC). Techniques currently included under BEQUALM include:

• Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity + protein measurement
• PAH bile metabolites in fish
• Micronuclei formation in mussel haemocytes and fish erythrocytes
• Fish liver histopathology
• Externally visible fish diseases

Cefas and NIVA are currently responsible for establishing a QA programme, including preparation and distribution of any reference materials, proficiency testing, results reporting, and laboratory performance assessments.