A TrAC journey into water-chemical metrology in the European Union

Measuring water quality for various purposes (e.g., drinking, environmental or wastewater) generally relies on analysis of a wide variety of physico-chemical parameters and chemical substances, including toxic and carcinogenic substances at various levels of concentrations, in a wide variety of (raw or filtered) matrices. Measurement strategies (covering sampling, sample pre-treatment, storage, and laboratory analyses) have evolved over the past 25 years with the development of new instruments and new techniques, as well as the harmonization of procedures throughout Europe, particularly through increasing awareness of quality assurance (QA) of environmental analysis. In this context, TrAC has played a significant role in disseminating information on trends, with a series of special issues on emerging trends in analytical developments and related features (e.g., QA, on-site methods, automated analytical instrumentation, and emerging pollutants, including endocrine disruptors). This article gives examples of analytical developments in the water sector as seen from TrAC perspectives.