Mercury in seawater: preparation of a certified reference material

Ziel

Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) are needed to improve the quality of results of marine monitoring in the marine waters within the European Communities. Previous materials produced by the European Commission, e.g. trace elements in seawater or estuarine water were not analysed for mercury. Due to the high volatility of mercury, water to be analysed for Hg content can not be stored in polythene bottles and a higher acidification is necessary. So far, no CRM existed for this element, and hence a separate reference material had to be produced.

The project aimed to carry out an interlaboratory study to check the feasibility of coastal seawater material preparation and evaluate the analytical state of the art, and to organise a certification campaign of a (natural) costal seawater CRM to be certified for its total mercury content.
The interlaboratory study (organised in 1995) was successfully conducted and enabled to pursue the project. The certification campaign was carried out with eight from EU Member States and was successfully concluded by the certification of total mercury in the CRM 579 (coastal seawater) which is now available for sale (Report EUR 18045 EN, 1997).
The different tasks were the following: (1) preparation of a coastal seawater reference material, (2) organisation of an interlaboratory study, (3) preparation of a large batch of candidate reference material, (4) organisation of a certification campaign, and (5) technical and statistical evaluation of the results followed by writing of the certification report.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals

Programm/Programme

FP3-MAT - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of measurements and testing, 1990-1994

Thema/Themen

Data not available

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

Data not available

Finanzierungsplan

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Koordinator

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek

EU-Beitrag

Keine Daten

Adresse

97,Schoenmakerstraat
2600 JA Delft
Niederlande

Gesamtkosten