Objective Methylmercury (MeHg) is known to be extremely toxic, which is of particular concern since this compound is widespread in the environment. The lack of knowledge of toxical impact of MeHg in sediment (e.g. on filter-feeding organisms) and the need to better understand the environmental pathways justifies the monitoring of this compound in various matrices (biota, water and sediment). Legislation on MeHg within the European Union, e.g. in food (national regulations) or water (EC Directives), requires that the determinations are of proven quality which justifies the preparation of representative certified reference materials.The project aimed to evaluate the state-of-the-art of methylmercury determination in sediment through an interlaboratory study involving 15 expert EU laboratories and to subsequently certify a sediment reference material for its total Hg and MeHg contents (CRM 580).The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of preparation of a sediment reference material containing stable content of MeHg and showed that the state-of-the-art was good enough to contemplate certification. The certification was concluded in 1996 and the sediment CRM was certified for its total Hg and MeHg contents as planned in the work programme. The material is now available at the IRMM (Report EUR 17658 EN, 1997).The project consisted in (1) a feasibility study for stabilising a reference material containing MeHg (using gamma-irradiation), (2) an interlaboratory study, (3) the preparation of a large batch of candidate sediment reference material, (4) the organisation of a certification campaign, and (5) the technical and statistical evaluation of the results. Programme(s) FP3-MAT - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of measurements and testing, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Studio di Ingegneria Ambientale EU contribution No data Address Via Vincenzo Monti 29 20123 Milano Italy See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Eco Consult Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Guglielmo Marconi 15 21026 Gavirate Varese See on map Total cost No data Presidio Multizonale di Prevenzione di La Spezia Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Pontevivo 129 19100 La Spezia See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Siena Italy EU contribution No data Address Via P. A. Mattioli 4 53100 Siena See on map Total cost No data
