Certified reference materials are a major tool for laboratories to monitor the performance of their analyical work. Similarly to other measurement fields, speciation analysis requires the availability of suitable reference materials for the purpose of verification of accuracy and quality assurance needs.
Measurements that represented a major brealthrough in speciation
science were those that had a link with identified toxicity risks,
namely the determination of methylmercury in biological tissues
(Minamata) and organotins in environmental matrices (oysters in the bay
of Arcachon). Public awareness was associated with expressed needs from
the laboratories with respect to quality control tools, and
organisations such as the National Institute for Environmental
Sciences, NIES (Japan) and the National Research Council, NRCC
(Canada) started work on the organisation of interlaboratory comparison
studies for these compounds during the 1980s. In the late 1980s (1988
and after) the European Commission, through the BCR
program, also launched a series of projects aimed at the improvement of
the quality of speciation measurements for chemical forms of Al, As,
Hg, Pb, Se and Se in various biological and environmental matrices,
along with extractable forms of trace metals in soils and sediments.
Resulting from these combined efforts, today a couple of certified
reference materials are commercially available that at least serve as
a good starting point for the quality control and development of
speciation analysis.
The following table summarizes the availability of different materials (for extractable forms see the column "others"):
| Matrix
|
Hg
|
As
|
Sn
|
Cr |
Se |
Pb |
others
|
Aqueous solution
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Natural water |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sea water |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sediment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Soil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sewage sludge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air particulate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Plant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Fish
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mussel, Oyster
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food supplement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Urine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Serum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whole blood
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hair
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* green boxes for available materials, dark blue boxes for non-available materials.
For more details click on the related green box.
Related EVISA Resources
Material Database: CRMs Material Database: Materials related to arsenic speciation Material Database: Materials related to chromium speciation Material Database: Materials related to mercury speciation Material Database: Materials related to selenium speciation Material Database: Materials related to tin speciation Company Database: Producers of CRMs Link Page: All about QA/QC
Link Page: All about CRMs
Related Publications Carmen Ibánez-Palomino, José Fermín López-Sánchez, Angels Sahuquillo,
Certified reference materials for analytical mercury speciation in biological and environmental matrices: Do they meet user needs?; a review, Anal. Chim. Acta, 720 (2012) 9–15.
doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2012.01.015 Thomas P.J. Linsinger, Guy Auclair, Barbara Raffaelli, Andrée Lamberty, Bernd M. Gawlik,
Conclusions from 13 years of stability testing of CRMs for determination of metal species, Trends Anal. Chem., 30/6 (2011) 875-886.
doi: 10.1016/j.trac.2011.01.015 H. Emons,
Challenges from speciation analysis for the development of biological reference materials, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 370/2-3 (2001) 115-119.
doi: 10.1007/s002160100745 R. Cornelis, H. Crews, O.F.X. Donard, L. Ebdon, P. Quevauviller,
Trends in certified reference materials for the speciation of trace elements, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 370/2-3 (2001) 120-5.
doi: 10.1007/s002160100709 Milena Horvat,
Current status and future needs for biological and environmental reference materials certified for methylmercury compounds, Chemosphere, 39/7 (1999) 1167-1179.
doi: 10.1016/S0045-6535(99)00185-X B. Michalke,
Quality control and reference materials in speciation analysis, Fresenius' J. Anal. Chem., 363/5-6 (1999) 439-445,
doi: 10.1007/s002160051219 Philippe Quevauviller,
Requirements for production and use of Certified Reference Materials for speciation analysis: A European Commission perspective, Spectrochim. Acta Part B, 53/9 (1998) 1261-1279.
doi: 10.1016/S0584-8547(98)00138-4 
EVISA News related to CRMs March 31, 2019: ERM-CE101: A new CRM for assessing environmental quality through fish February 15, 2013: JRC-IRMM has released ERM-BC211 certified rice reference material February 1, 2012: LGC Standards strengthens European central warehouse for reference materials May 3, 2011: New reference materials for the characterisation of selenium-enriched food products March 20, 2011: Stability of Reference Materials for Speciation Analysis November 23, 2010: New certified reference material supporting mercury speciation analysis of blood September 28, 2009: New Beryllium Reference Material for Occupational Safety Monitoring September 10, 2009: Speciation Analysis - Striving for Quality
February 3, 2009: New Reference Material for Hexavalent Chromium in Contaminated Soil November 15, 2005: NIST/EPA/NJ DEP embark on the preparation of a soil reference materials for chromium speciation August 2, 2005: New CRM for Selenomethionine in yeast developed by NRC Canada is now on the market May 6, 2004: Reference materials producers launch new European initiativelast time modified: May 8, 2012
