News on Reference Materials

Seventh International Symposium on Biological and EnvironmentalReference Materials (BERM-7), Antwerp, Belgium, 21–25 April 1997

Iwan Roelandts*

Department of Geology, Petrology and Geochemistry, University of Lie`ge, B-4000 Sart Tilman, Lie`ge 1, Belgium

Received 15 May 1998; accepted 15 May 1998

Abstract

This paper presents additional biological and environmental reference samples. Included are three tables that provide aneasy-to-use survey. The following information is covered: the name of the material, the sample code, the producer, the referenceto certification, the names and addresses of the suppliers from whom the reference material may be obtained, and specificremarks.q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Keywords:Biological and environmental reference materials

Ever-increased concern for health care, food safetyand environmental monitoring results in a growingworld-wide demand for appropriate natural matrixreference materials (RMs). They serve as powerfultools for providing instrument calibration, validatinganalytical procedures, establishing traceability,achieving reliability and compatibility of laboratoryresults. They also play a key role for quality controland/or assurance (QC/QA) purposes. Ideally, theymust match the analysed samples as closely as possible(similar matrix and comparable concentration ranges)to minimize the risk of so-called ‘matrix effects’encountered in most instrumental analysis methods.

The Seventh International Symposium on Biologicaland Environmental Reference Materials (BERM-7)was held in Antwerp, Belgium, during 21–25 April1997. It attracted more than 200 participants from 31countries, including developing countries and Middleand Eastern Europe. This demonstrates the stronginterest for biological, clinical, environmental and

industrial RMs. The scientific program of BERM-7comprised oral and poster presentations. Each day,general discussions concluded the sessions. Amongthe wealth of information presented, particular empha-sis was placed on various aspects of RMs: materialpreparation (e.g. grinding process, particle size distribu-tions), (micro)homogeneity investigations, samplingbehaviour, stability assessment, storage conditions,characterization/certification approaches, comparabil-ity and traceability of measurements, proficiency test-ings (laboratories’ performance), and accreditationprograms.

A recent issue ofFresenius’ Journal of AnalyticalChemistrywas devoted to the Symposium Proceed-ings [1]. Some 76 contributions from BERM-7 wereretained in this volume. It should be noted that‘consensus values’ and their associated standarddeviations were provided for 133 biological andenvironmental Standard Reference Materials issuedby the National Institute for Standards and Technology(NIST, formerly the National Bureau of Standards orNBS) [2].

Spectrochimica Acta Part B 53 (1998) 1365–1368

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0584-8547/98/$19.00q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reservedPII S0584-8547(98)00162-1

* E-mail: I.Roelandts@ulg.ac.be

Table 1Biological and environmental reference materials

Sample name Sample code Producer Certification Supplier(s) Remarks

Air Particulate matter IAEA-396a/m IAEA R-5 S-5Algae IAEA-390 IAEA R-10 S-5

IAEA-391 IAEA R-16 S-5IAEA-392 IAEA R-16 S-5IAEA-393 IAEA R-16 S-5BIOMA 1–4 NPI R-8 S-7

Baby food SRM 2383 NIST R-12 S-8 vitamins, tracesBovine liver CRM 185R BCR R-7 S-4 traces

CRM 474 BCR R-7 S-4 trenboloneCRM 475 BCR R-7 S-4 trenboloneCRM 648 BCR R-7 S-4 b-agonistCRM 649 BCR R-7 S-4 b-agonist

Cabbage IAEA-359 IAEA R-10 S-5 traces, organicsDiet SRM 1544 NIST R-12 S-8 fatty acids, traces

SRM 1548a NIST R-12 S-8 fatty acids, tracesFish flesh IAEA-382 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesHair IAEA-085 IAEA R-6, R-10 S-5 MeHg, traces

IAEA-086 IAEA R-6 S-5 MeHg, tracesHuman serum SRM 909b NIST R-14 S-8 2 levelsInfant formula SRM 1846 NIST R-12, R-15 S-8 vitamins, tracesLichen IAEA-338 IAEA R-10 S-5Mussel GESREM1 IAEA R-10 S-5 MeHg, Hg

IAEA-142 IAEA R-10 S-5 MeHg, traces,organics

Pig liver CRM 487 BCR R-7 S-4 vitaminsPorous solid PM-101 to PM-104 BAM R-11 S-2 pore analysisRock IAEA-402 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesSand IAEA-403 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesSeaweed IAEA-140 IAEA R-10 S-5 pesticides, hydro-

carbons PCB, tracesSediment CRM-535 BCR R-7 S-4 PAH, PCB

CRM-536 BCR R-7 S-4 PAH, PCBIAEA-315 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesIAEA-384 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesIAEA-385 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclidesMURST-ISS-A1 ISS R-2 S-4,6 AntarcticRS-1 to RS-4 R-4 S-3

Soil CRM 427 BCR R-7 S-4 organicsCRM 428 BCR R-7 S-4 organicsCRM 529 BCR R-7 S-4 PCCD/FCRM 530 BCR R-7 S-4 PCCD/FIAEA-326/7 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclides,

tracesIAEA-401 IAEA R-10 S-5 radionuclides7001–7004 NPI R-9 S-7 trace, extractable

fractionsTobacco leaves CTA-VTL-2 INCT R-3 S-1Urine RIVM/ARO R-13 S-9 anabolicsWheat 3 samples OHM R-1 S-9Wheat flour 2 samples OHM R-1 S-9

1366 I. Roelandts/Spectrochimica Acta Part B 53 (1998) 1365–1368

The present paper covers this symposium, listingbiological and environmental RMs discovered orupdated in the Symposium Proceedings.

Three tables have been prepared according to thegeneral style we have adopted in previous instalmentsin this series. In Table 1:

1. the name of the material is given in the first column;2. the sample code, i.e. the usual abbreviation given

by the originator, is shown in column two;3. the acronym of the producer is stated in the third

column;4. references of certification, reports, catalogues or

preliminary information are identified by a numberpreceded by the letter R. The number in the rele-vant column refers to the list presented in Table 2;

5. The supplier from whom the material may beobtained is identified in a similar manner (usingS as the first letter). The name and addresses ofsuppliers of the reference materials mentioned inTable 1 are given in Table 3. In this manner, read-ers are able to obtain further information directlyfrom such sources (catalogue, price list, quantityof the supply, details of the purchase procedure,etc.);

6. Specific remarks that may assist readers in theirchoice of samples are indicated in the final column.

The Eighth International Symposium on Biologicaland Environmental Reference Materials (BERM-8)will be held in September 2000 in the Washington,DC/Baltimore, MD area of the US.

Table 2Compilation

R-1 J. Budai, J. Fu¨ko, Experience with wheat and wheat flour CRMS, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 452–453R-2 S. Caroli, O. Senofonte, S. Caimi, P. Pucci, J. Pauwels, G.N. Kramer, A pilot study for the preparation of a new

reference material based on an antarctic krill, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 410-414R-3 R. Dybczynski, H. Polkowska-Motrenko, Z. Samczynski, Z. Szopa, Virginia tobacco leaves (CTA-VTL-2)—new

Polish CRM for inorganic trace analysis including microanalysis, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1990) 384–387R-4 P. Heininger, J. Pelzer, R. Henrion, G.Henrion, Results of a complex round robin test with four river sediments,

Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 344–347R-5 S.F. Heller-Zeisler, A. Fajgelj, G. Bernasconi, A. Tajani, R. Zeisler, Examination of a procedure for the production

of a simulated filter-based air particulate matter reference material, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 435–438R-6 S.F. Heller-Zeisler, R.M. Parr, R. Zeisler, Certification of two human hair reference materials issued by the

International Atomic Energy Agency, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem., 360 (1998) 419–422R-7 G.N. Kramer, H. Muntau, E. Maier, J. Pauwels, The production of powdered candidate biological and environ-

mental reference materials in the laboratories of the Joint Research Centre, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 {1998}299–303

R-8 J. Kucera, P. Mader, D. Miholova, J. Szakova, I. Stejskalova, V. Stepanek, Proficiency tests using four batches ofgreen alga with controlled levels of cadmium, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 439–442

R-9 J. Kucera, V. Sychra, J. Koubek, A set of four soil reference materials with certified values of total element contentsand their extractable fractions, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 402–405

R-10 R.M. Parr, A. Fajgelj, R.Dekner, H. Vera Ruiz, F.P. Carvalho, P.P. Povinec, IAEA analytical quality assuranceprogrammes to meet the present and future needs of developing countries, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998)287–290

R-11 B. Rohl-Kuhn, K. Meyer, P. Klobes, T. Fritz, Development of porous and dispersed CRM, Fresenius’ J. Anal.Chem. 360 (1998) 393–397

R-12 K.E. Sharpless, M.J. Welch, R.R. Greenberg, G.V. Iyengar, J.C. Colbert, Recent SRMs for organic and inorganicnutrients in food matrices, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 456–458

R-13 S. Sterk, F. van Tricht, A. van Soeren-Kieft, H. Herbold, R. Stephany, L. van Ginkel, Bank of reference samples ofblank urine from livestock, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 454–455

R-14 M. Welch, J. Colbert, Certification strategies for health-related SRMS at NIST, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360(1998) 312–316

R-15 W.R. Wolf, D.E. Lacroix, Sampling constants for niacin content in standard reference material 1846 InfantFormula, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 459–464

R-16 R. Zeisler, R. Dekner, E. Zeiller, J. Doucha, P. Mader, J. Kucera, Single cell green algae reference materials withmanaged levels of heavy metals, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 429–432

1367I. Roelandts/Spectrochimica Acta Part B 53 (1998) 1365–1368

References

[1] Seventh International Symposium on Biological andEnvironmental Reference Materials, Antwerp, Belgium,21–25 April 1997, Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998).

[2] I. Roelandts, E.S. Gladney, Consensus values for NISTbiological and environmental Standard Reference Materials,Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 360 (1998) 327–338.

Table 3Sources of supply

S-1 R. Dybczynski, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, ul. Dorodna,16, PL-03-195 Warszawa, Poland

S-2 Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), unter den Eichen, 87, D-12200 Berlin, GermanyS-3 P. Heininger, Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Berlin Branch, Schnellerstrasse, 140, D-12459 Berlin,

GermanyS-4 Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM). Joint Research Centre, European Commission,

Retieseweg, B-2440, Geel, BelgiumS-5 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Analytical Quality Control Services, Laboratory Seibersdorf, P.O.

Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, AustriaS-6 Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS), Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, ItalyS-7 J. Kucera, Nuclear Physics Institute, CZ-250 68 Rez near Prague, Czech RepublicS-8 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials Program, Room 204,

Building 202, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001, USAS-9 National Offices of Measures (OMH), Nemetvo¨lgyi u.37-39, H-1124 Budapest, HungaryS-10 RIVM, European Union Community Reference Laboratory (CRL), P.O. Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The

Netherlands

1368 I. Roelandts/Spectrochimica Acta Part B 53 (1998) 1365–1368