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Appendix 1
Good Laboratory
Practices

In Chapter 1, we mentioned that various laboratories are under federal regulation in relation to the
activities and the quality of work performed in the laboratory. These regulations have come to be known
as good laboratory practices (GLPs). There are two sets of GLP regulations, one for the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and one for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They differ only in
statements relating to these agencies’ objectives and purposes. The FDA regulations may be accessed at
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/21cfr58_01.html. The EPA regulations may be accessed
at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/40cfr160_99.html.
The major subparts of the GLP regulations are listed below:

Subpart A: General Provisions

Subpart B: Organization and Personnel
Subpart C: Facilities
Subpart D: Equipment
Subpart E: Testing Facilities Operations
Subpart F: Test, Control, and Reference Substances
Subpart G: Protocols for and Conduct of a Study
Subparts H and I: Reserved
Subpart J: Records and Reports
Subpart K (FDA only): Disqualification of Testing Facilities

We now take a look at each subpart individually.

A1.1 General Provisions

The first subpart in each set is titled “General Provisions.” In this subpart, in separate numbered paragraphs,
the scope of the regulations is laid out, a number of definitions are listed, and the applicability of the
regulations to studies performed under grants and contracts is covered. Also presented is a paragraph that
indicates that the inspection of a testing facility is permitted. Besides these, the EPA GLPs include a
statement of compliance or noncompliance, as well as a statement on the effects of noncompliance.
The scope paragraph of the EPA GLPs mentions that the research and marketing of pesticide products
are regulated. In addition, all data relating to certain sections of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) are regulated. The scope paragraph of the FDA GLPs mentions that the research
and marketing of products regulated by the FDA are regulated. Specific products are listed. In addition,
under FDA GLPs, all data relating to certain sections of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA) and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) are regulated.

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The definitions are for those words and phrases that the reader encounters in the regulations. Examples
are given below.
Quality assurance unit: Any person or organizational element, except the study director, designated
by testing facility management to perform the duties relating to quality assurance of the (non-
clinical laboratory) studies.
Raw data: Any laboratory worksheets, records, memoranda, notes, or exact copies thereof, that are
the result of original observations and activities of a (nonclinical laboratory) study and are
necessary for the reconstruction and evaluation of the report of that study.
Reference substance (EPA only): Any chemical substance or mixture, or analytical standard, or material
other than a test substance, feed, or water, that is administered to or used in analyzing the test
system in the course of a study for the purposes of establishing a basis for comparison with the
test substance for known chemical or biological measurements.
Person: An individual, partnership, corporation, association, scientific or academic establishment,
government agency, or organizational unit thereof, and any other legal entity.
Sponsor: 1) A person who initiates and supports, by provision of financial or other resources, a
(nonclinical laboratory) study; 2) a person who submits a (nonclinical laboratory) study to the
EPA (FDA) in support of an application for a research or marketing permit; or 3) a testing facility,
if it both initiates and actually conducts the study.
Study (EPA): An experiment in which a test substance is studied in a test system under laboratory
conditions or in the environment to determine or help predict its effects.
Nonclinical laboratory study (FDA): An experiment in which test articles are studied prospectively
in test systems under laboratory conditions to determine their safety.
Study director: The individual responsible for the overall conduct of a (nonclinical laboratory) study.
Test substance (EPA): A substance or mixture administered or added to a test system in a study, in
which the substance or mixture: 1) is the subject, or contemplated subject, of an application for a
research or marketing permit, or 2) is an ingredient or product of a substance as defined above.
Test article (FDA): Any food additive, color additive, drug, biological product, electronic product,
medical device for human use, or any other article subject to regulation under the FFDCA or PHSA.
Test system (EPA): Any animal, plant, microorganism, chemical or physical matrix, including but not
limited to soil or water, or subparts thereof, to which the test, control, or reference substance is
administered or added for the study.
Test system (FDA): Any animal, plant, microorganism, or subparts thereof, to which the test or control
article is administered or added for study.
Testing facility (both EPA and FDA): A person who actually conducts a (nonclinical laboratory) study,
i.e., who actually uses the test substance (article) in a test system.
In the paragraph entitled “Applicability to Studies Performed Under Grants and Contracts,” the
regulations state that whenever a sponsor utilizes the services of a consulting laboratory, contractor, or
grantee to perform an analysis or other service, it shall notify this laboratory, contractor, or grantee that
the service must be conducted in compliance with GLPs. Hence, essentially all phases of the work are
covered by the regulations whether performed by an outside organization or the sponsor’s own laboratory.
The paragraph that discusses the “Inspection of a Testing Facility” is of significant importance. It is
found in both the EPA and FDA GLPs and, in essence, allows government representatives to enter the
facilities and inspect and copy all records within the scope of the work at reasonable times and in a
reasonable manner. A key statement here is that the EPA (or FDA) will not consider a study in support
of an application for a permit if the testing facility refuses to permit inspection. Thus a facility must
permit inspection. This inspection, or audit as it is often called, is therefore taken very seriously.
The EPA regulations include a statement of compliance or noncompliance (§160.12) and a statement
indicating the effects of noncompliance (§160.17), while the FDA regulations address these issues in their
Subpart K. The EPA statements say that any person who submits an application for a research or marketing
permit shall submit a statement signed by the applicant, the sponsor, and the study director that the
study was either conducted in accordance with GLPs, conducted in part in accordance with GLPs (with

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those parts not so conducted described), or conducted such that it was not known whether it was in
accordance with GLPs. As to noncompliance consequences, the EPA regulations say that the EPA may
refuse to consider reliable any data from a study that was not conducted in accordance with GLPs and
that severe penalties may result from submission of a compliance statement that is false.
The FDA statements in Subpart K are much more explicit and detailed. While the EPA statements are
described in just the two paragraphs mentioned above, the FDA statements are written in a total of eight
paragraphs.

A1.2 Organization and Personnel

Subparts with this title appear under both the FDA and EPA regulations and are essentially identical.
Included are requirements for personnel (FDA §58.29 and EPA §160.29), requirements for testing facility
management (FDA §58.31 and EPA §160.31), requirements for the study director (FDA §58.33 and EPA
§160.33), and requirements for the quality assurance unit (FDA §58.35 and EPA §160.35).
The paragraphs on personnel state that each individual engaged in the work must have the proper
education, training, and experience; that each testing facility must maintain a file summarizing the
education, training, and experience of the workers; and that there shall be a sufficient number of workers
to complete the study in a timely manner. In addition, these paragraphs state that the workers follow
sanitation and health procedures; that the workers must wear appropriate clothing and that this clothing
be changed as necessary to prevent contamination; and that any worker found to be ill be appropriately
excluded from contact with any operation or function that may adversely affect the study.
The paragraphs on testing facility management specifically state the duties of the management. These
include: 1) designating the study director before the study is initiated, 2) replacing the study director if
necessary, 3) assuring that there is a quality assurance unit, 4) assuring that all test substances (articles)
involved in the study be tested for identity, strength, purity, stability, and uniformity, as applicable, 5) assuring
that personnel, resources, facilities, equipment, materials, and methodologies are available as scheduled, 6)
assuring that personnel clearly understand their functions, and 7) assuring that any reported deviations from
regulations are communicated to the study director and corrective actions are taken and documented.
The paragraphs outlining the requirements of the study director, the individual responsible for the
overall conduct of the study, state that he or she be a scientist or other professional of appropriate
education, training, and experience. Additionally, this individual is responsible for the interpretation,
analysis, documentation, and reporting of results, and represents the single point of study control. He
or she assures that: 1) the protocol, including any change, is approved and followed, 2) all experimental
data are accurately recorded and verified, 3) unforeseen circumstances affecting the quality and integrity
of the study are noted and corrective action taken and documented, 4) test systems are identified in the
protocol, 5) all applicable GLPs are followed, and 6) all raw data, documentation, protocols, specimens,
and final reports are transferred to the archives during or at the close of the study.
Finally, the paragraphs outlining the requirements of the quality assurance unit state that such a unit
is required; the duties of this unit; that the specific characteristics of the unit, including responsibilities,
applicable procedures, and records, must be maintained in writing; and that the EPA or FDA shall have
access to the documents. The quality assurance unit is responsible for monitoring each study to assure
management that the facilities, equipment, personnel, methods, practices, records, and controls are in
conformance with the regulations. The quality assurance unit must be completely separate from and
independent of the personnel engaged in the direction and conduct of the study.

A1.3 Facilities
The facilities for the study are described in Subpart C for both the EPA and the FDA regulations. There
are six paragraphs under Subpart C in each case, and the titles of these paragraphs are very similar. The
key points here are: 1) facilities must be of suitable size and construction and must be designed so that
they are separate from other activities so as to prohibit adverse effects on the study from the other

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490 Analytical Chemistry for Technicians

activities, 2) proper separation of test systems, including waste disposal systems, must be maintained, 3)
storage areas for feed, nutrients, soils, bedding, supplies, and equipment shall be provided, and the areas
for storing feed, nutrients, soils, and bedding shall be separated from the test systems, and, in addition,
these facilities shall be provided as required by the written protocol, 4) facilities for handling test articles,
control articles, and reference substances, including receipt and storage, mixing, and storage of prepared
mixtures, shall be organized so as to prevent mix-ups and to preserve the identity, strength, purity, and
stability of the articles and mixtures, 5) special laboratory space shall be provided as needed for all
procedures, and 6) there shall be archives, limited to access by authorized personnel, for storage of study
records and specimens.

A1.4 Equipment
Subpart D presents the regulations for the equipment used in a study. There are two paragraphs in both
sets, the FDA and the EPA GLPs, one for equipment design and one for maintenance and calibration.
The texts of both sets are virtually identical, stating that all equipment must perform as required by the
protocol and that this equipment must be maintained and calibrated. Formal standard operating proce-
dures (SOPs) must be on file for this and must set forth in sufficient detail the methods, materials, and
schedules to be used in the inspection, cleaning, maintenance, testing, calibration, and standardization
of equipment and also name the person responsible. In addition, written records shall be maintained for
this activity, including records of any malfunctions, how these were discovered, and what corrective action
was taken. We mentioned this subpart previously in our discussion of calibration of equipment.

A1.5 Testing Facility Operations

Subpart E of both the FDA and EPA GLP regulations addresses the operations aspects of the work. This
is the subpart that specifies the use and design of standard operating procedures. This is also the subpart
that specifies the labeling of reagents and solutions. Some important points in the paragraph describing
standard operating procedures are: 1) SOPs that satisfy management of the quality and integrity of the
data are required, 2) the study director may authorize deviations from an SOP, 3) significant changes
must be authorized by management, 4) SOPs must be immediately available to personnel, and 5) a
historical file of SOPs must be maintained. An important point regarding labeling is that every bottle
in the laboratory must have a label with the required information. The required information, as
delineated in this subpart, includes identity, titer or concentration, storage requirements, and expiration
date.
There is also a paragraph in Subpart E providing considerable detail regarding the care of test systems
that are animals or plants.

A1.6 Test, Control, and Reference Substances

Test substances (or articles), control substances (or articles), and reference substances are covered by
Subpart F in both the FDA and EPA regulations. Basically this subpart covers all substances under
investigation and all known substances used in the investigation in terms of their characterization,
handling, and mixing.
First, in terms of their characterization, the regulations state that the identity, strength, and other
characteristics shall be determined and documented before use. The regulations also state that their
stability shall be determined before the experimental start date or concurrently with the study. In addition,
test substance storage containers must be labeled and must be kept for the duration of the study, and
for studies lasting more that 4 weeks, reserve samples must be retained according to paragraphs 58.195
(FDA) and 160.195 (EPA). Finally, the EPA (but not the FDA) regulations state that the stability of the
substances under storage conditions at the test site shall be known for all studies.

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Second, in terms of handling, the regulations state that procedures must be established to ensure that:
1) there is proper storage, 2) contamination or deterioration is avoided during handling, 3) proper
identification is maintained throughout the study, and 4) the receipt and distribution is documented for
each batch. The concept of the chain-of-custody documentation is thus covered in the regulations.
Third, for each substance (or article) that is mixed with a carrier (solvent or other medium): 1) the
uniformity or concentration shall be determined, 2) the solubility shall be determined (EPA only), and
3) the stability in the mixture shall be determined. Expiration dates shall be clearly shown and (EPA
only) the device used to formulate the mixture shall not interfere with the integrity of the test.

A1.7 Protocols for and Conduct of a

(Nonclinical Laboratory) Study
The term protocol has a specific meaning in GLPs. It is defined in Subpart G of both the FDA and EPA
GLPs as an official written document that clearly indicates the objectives and all methods for the conduct
of the study. In the case of the EPA GLPs, it contains a set of 15 specific items. In the case of the FDA
GLPs, it contains a set of 12 specific items. Like SOPs, an approved protocol can be changed or revised,
but the changes and revisions must be documented, signed by the study director, dated, and maintained
with the original document.
A specific path for conducting a study is also outlined in Subpart G. Besides stating that the study
shall be conducted and test systems monitored in accordance with the protocol, and that specimens shall
be properly identified and results made available to a pathologist, an important statement regarding the
data generated is presented.
The EPA GLPs include a paragraph under Subpart G (§160.135) that deals with physical and chemical
characterization studies. This paragraph states that all provisions of GLP standards apply to certain specific
physical and chemical characterization studies of test, control, and reference substances. These studies
are listed. It also states that certain specified paragraphs do not apply to studies other than those listed.

A1.8 Records and Reports

Subpart J in both the FDA and EPA GLPs deals with the records and reports generated by a study.
Specifically, this subpart in both the EPA and FDA GLPs deals with the reporting of the study results,
the storage and retrieval of records and data, and the retention of records. Under “Report of the Study
Results” (EPA §160.185 and FDA §58.185), the items to be included in the final report are listed. The
list includes 13 enumerated items: names, dates, objectives and procedures, statistical methods, identities
of and data concerning substances used, laboratory methods, test systems, dosages, data integrity issues,
specific data handling procedures, reports of scientists involved, data storage locations, and the quality
assurance unit statement. Corrections or additions to the final report are handled via amendments.
All raw data, documentation, records, protocols, specimens, final reports, and correspondence relating
to data interpretation must be retained and archived according to the “Storage and Retrieval of Records
and Data” paragraphs (EPA §160.190 and FDA §58.190) found in this subpart, and these records must
be available for expedient retrieval. The archived records shall be carefully protected and indexed.
Additional statements regarding records retention, which do not supersede the previous statements,
are presented in the “Retention of Records” paragraph (EPA §160.195 and FDA §58.195). The period of
time specific records must be retained is indicated here.

A1.9 Disqualification of Testing Facilities

Subpart K of the FDA regulations discusses the grounds for the disqualification of testing facilities, the
procedures and actions associated with disqualification, and the procedure for the reinstatement of
disqualified facilities.

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