The international proficiency testing (PT) activity "Inter-laboratory Comparison on Iron and Fluoride Detection in Water" (CNCA [2021] No. 25) was successfully completed in May 2022. The relevant certificates and result notices of this proficiency testing have been delivered to the participants by express and email respectively. The Report of the Inter-laboratory Comparison on Iron and Fluoride Detection in Water (2021) has been submitted to the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) and distributed to all participating laboratories before published on the website of CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment (CEWE) (http://www.castwas-cewe.org/).

The activity is China's only one international PT work in the field of water environment undertaken by the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for the third consecutive year. Relying on CEWE's international network of cooperation, the Water Quality Analysis Laboratory of RCEES jointly implemented the project with the strong support of CNCA and the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO). A total of 22 laboratories from 12 countries, namely Singapore, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Burundi, Kenya, Venezuela and Russia, joined the activity. Besides, the work received positive response from 62 domestic organizations.

The international proficiency testing has gradually matured through three consecutive years of practice. In the near future, special seminars will be held with some excellent overseas laboratories to build an international cooperation network of water quality analysis facilities and contribute more Chinese wisdom to the improvement of the Belt and Road’s testing capabilities.

Water Quality Analysis Laboratory, RCEES, CAS

CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment

May 16, 2022