Journal article
History and results of the two inter-laboratory round robin endotoxin assay studies on cotton dust
American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.49(4), pp.301-306
04/2006
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20266
PMID: 16526062
Abstract
Background
In the US cotton industry, airborne cotton dust levels are regulated, and other countries are moving to specify safety limits for airborne endotoxins. There is concern about potential respiratory health hazards associated with agricultural and other organic dusts. In laboratories, ranking which samples have high and low levels of endotoxin is usually in good agreement between laboratories. When different laboratories assay identical samples, the levels differ. The objective of this research was to evaluate the intra- and inter-laboratory variability for 13 laboratories measuring endotoxin in cotton dust.
Method
Two inter-laboratory round robin endotoxin assay studies were conducted using cotton dust. In the first round robin, each laboratory used their normal in-house assay method and then used a common extraction protocol. In the second round robin, a common extraction protocol and endotoxin assay kit was used.
Results
The intra-laboratory results had small variations but inter-laboratory results had very high variations. The inter-laboratory results using a common extraction protocol showed reduced differences. Using the same extraction protocol and endotoxin assay kit, the intra-laboratory variation was small and inter-laboratory variation was reduced but not enough for inter-laboratory agreement. Most of the laboratories were able to discern between the high and low endotoxin concentration dusts.
Conclusions
Standardization has reduced the differences in results between laboratories and possibly further standardization may bring closer inter-laboratory agreement.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- History and results of the two inter-laboratory round robin endotoxin assay studies on cotton dust
- Creators
- David T W Chun - Cotton Quality Research Station, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clemson, South CarolinaKaren Bartlett - School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaTerry Gordon - Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New YorkRobert R Jacobs - Graduate Program in Public Health, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VirginiaBritt-Marie Larsson - Department of Occupational Medicine, Program for Respiratory Health and Climate, Solna, SwedenLennart Larsson - Department of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, Lund, SwedenDaniel M Lewis - National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West VirginiaJyrki Liesivuori - Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Kuopio, FinlandOlivier Michel - Clinic of Allergies and Respiratory Disease, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Brussels, BelgiumDonald K Milton - Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MassachusettsRagnar Rylander - Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenPeter S Thorne - University of Iowa, Civil and Environmental EngineeringEugene M White - Milacron, Inc., Cincinnati, OhioMary E Brown - NIOSH, Division of Applied Research and Technology, Cincinnati, OhioVarina S Gunn - National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthHelle Würtz - National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.49(4), pp.301-306
- Publisher
- Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
- DOI
- 10.1002/ajim.20266
- PMID
- 16526062
- ISSN
- 0271-3586
- eISSN
- 1097-0274
- Number of pages
- 6
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2006
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health
- Record Identifier
- 9983557800302771
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