The Standing Committee of Analysts

The Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) exists to provide authoritative guidance on methods of sampling and analysis of waters and effluents, sewage sludges, sediments, soils (including contaminated land) and biota. Where appropriate, guidance on the sampling and analysis of air will also be produced. The primary duty of SCA will be to develop and publish recommended analytical methods. This will not include the provision of advice on, or interpretation of results. All methods published by the SCA should be capable of satisfying a regulatory demand, be fit for purpose and represent best practice within the United Kingdom (UK).
However, validation data published with methods represents performance under a particular set of circumstances and is provided for illustrative purposes only. It is incumbent on users of SCA methods to assess performance on their equipment, in their laboratories, with their personnel.

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Terms Of Reference

The Standing Committee of Analysts represents the collective knowledge of the UK in the provision of methodology which is given and shared freely for the purpose of ensuring quality and consistency in the chemical and microbiological analysis of water, waste water and related materials*.
Clear, up to date methodology produced by experts within their fields is key to the provision of robust, repeatable and accurate data. This is ever more important in the face of significant challenges from Regulations and Customers, and the potential threat of legal action. Achieving and maintaining documents of the required standard requires the contribution of the companies and organisations that will benefit from them.
In this website, the SCA provide all methodology free to access, an achievement of which will ensure that the highest standards of methodology are available to analysts in the UK, and for use throughout the world.