About the organiser

The EQAT phytoplankton proficiency tests are an activity of the Landestalsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen (LTV). They were developed in cooperation with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Trinkwassertalsperren e.V. (ATT). The LTV is a state-owned enterprise in the business area of the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture. The planning, implementation and evaluation of the inter-laboratory comparisons is carried out in the laboratory of the LTV in Plauen.

Coordinator of the proficiency test

Dr. Elly Spijkerman and Dr. Tilo Hegewald (deputy)

Address

Landestalsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen
Ringversuchslabor EQAT Phytoplankton
Bärenstraße 46
08525 Plauen
Deutschland

Contact

Phone: +49-3741-1564-134
Email: kontakt@planktonforum.eu
Web: www.planktonforum.eu

Advisory Board

The Biology Working Group of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Trinkwassertalsperren e.V. (ATT), represented by Dr. Gabriele Packroff and Dr. Arndt Mehling, is available as an advisory body. Within the ATT, for example, questions regarding the selection of test items and the further development of the test design are discussed. Jan Trübsbach and Andreas Meybohm from the LTV are also members of this committee and provide support, especially in questions of practical implementation of the EQAT scheme. Furthermore, external experts from the fields of taxonomy/systematics of algae and statistics/evaluation of EQAT results are consulted if necessary. The participants are informed about this.

Advisory Board – ATT e.V. Arbeitskreis Biologie and LTV

Frau Dr. Gabriele Packroff Wahnbachtalsperrenverband Leiterin ATT AK Biologie Siegelsknippen, D-53721 Siegburg	Herr Dr. Arndt Mehling Harzwasserwerke Zur Granetalsperre 8, D-38685 Langelsheim
Herr Dipl. Biol. Andreas Meybohm Landestalsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen Bärenstraße 46, D-08523 Plauen	Herr Dipl. Biol. Jan Trübsbach Landestalsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen Bärenstraße 46, D-08523 Plauen

Subcontracting

For the taxonomic validation of component 3 (video clips), external experts are regularly involved in the EQAT scheme via subcontracting. The task of the experts is mainly to determine the taxonomic status of the taxa in the video clip. For this purpose, a contract is regularly made between the LTV Saxony and the Free University of Berlin, which includes the following services:

Taxonomic determination of the algae in the video clips
Verification and determination of the determination levels
Documentation of the morphological characteristics decisive for the determination
Check for synonyms
Review of the available literature for the proper identification of the algae in the video clips.

The company Thalheim Spezialoptik GmbH (Pulsnitz) is regularly commissioned to manufacture the reference counting chambers. Thalheim Spezialoptik GmbH has nationally and internationally recognised expertise in the field of optical instrumentation - e.g. for microscopy and plankton analysis - as well as in the manufacture, development and distribution of scientific measurement systems including their accessories.

Proficiency test

Since 2002, the proficiency test phytoplankton has been carried out on an international level by the LTV.

From 1.1.2025, we will no longer be able to offer ring tests to participants from countries outside the EU. We regret this decision and apologise for the inconvenience

Learn more

Design of our EQAT scheme

The EQAT design is focused on the application of the Utermöhl method using the inverted microscope and consists of three components. Components 1 and 2 are methodological, focussing on the enumeration and biovolume calculation and component 3 is taxonomic in nature.