State General Laboratory Annual Report 2019

29 State General laboratory Annual Report 2019 population to toxic and other factors. A plan has been prepared by the SGL for conducting risk assessments from exposure to various chemicals through food, using the real food consumption data of the population of Cyprus. N. The use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) by the SGL since 2005, as a quality management tool designed specifically for the public sector, starting with the self-assessment of its performance, has been considered a successful example of total quality management in the public sector. Therefore, the way it has been implemented by the SGL has been presented in various training seminars, conferences, workshops as an example of good implementation of the CAF, receiving excellent reviews. As a result, the SGL contributed sub- stantially to the planning and preparation of a proposal made by the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration (CAPA) to the "European Community Fund", for a €3 million project co-financing for the implementation of the CAF in 20 public sector Departments of Cyprus, which was approved. This project started in September 2018 and was completed in December 2019. Today, the innovative and successful way of implementing the CAF by the SGL, is now used by CAPA for the other Departments of the public sector. O. Continuation of the coordination at national level of the five-year Joint Research Programme "European initiative on Human Biomonitoring - HBM4EU" (2017 - 2021) being the national focal point as well as the rep- resentative of the Ministry of Health at its Management Board. The SGL also has the role of the contact point at European level to prepare communication materials for the participants and the partner for the preparation of a sustainable HB programme in Europe. The SGL has been also elected as the "Chemical Group Leader for mercury and its organic compounds (= 2nd round priority substances) of the HBM4EU. P. Continuation of the collection and transmission of information on new psychoactive substances to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs (EMCDDA), for the purpose of risk assessment of new psychoactive substances. Q. Publications (eight in total) in reputable international journals of the results of research projects on the fol- lowing subjects: a) "A combined spectroscopic and chemometric approach to the authenticity of traditional Greek spirits Ouzo and Tsipouro", b) "LC-ESI-MS/MS determination of oxyhalides (chlorate, perchlorate and bromate) in food and water samples, and chlorate on household water treatment devices along with perchlo- rate in plants", c) "Challenges in implementing of school-based recruitment for human biomonitoring research", d) "Nanomaterials in Food – Prioritisation & Assessment", e) "Scoping Document on Mercury and its Organic Compounds", f) "Focus on Mercury: Human exposure to mercury and HBM4EU action", g) "Survey design and fieldwork preparation: 2nd set of materials for communication to participants, including informed consent". R. Participation in 19 research programmes: Eight programmes were funded by the EU (Horizon 2020, the Research and Innovation Foundation, INTERREG, LIFE) and two by EFSA, seven pilot research programmes were funded by the Ministry of Health and two from other national sources.