Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A new marine sediment certified reference material (CRM) for the determination of persistent organic contaminants: IAEA-459

  • Advancements in chemical methods for environmental research
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new marine sediment certified reference material (IAEA 459) with very low concentrations (μg kg−1) for a variety of persistent organic contaminants (POPs) listed by the Stockholm Convention, as well as other POPs and priority substances (PSs) listed in many environmental monitoring programs was developed by the IAEA. The sediment material was collected from the Ham River estuary in South Korea, and the assigned final values were derived from robust statistics on the results provided by selected laboratories which demonstrated technical and quality competence, following the guidance given in ISO Guide 35. The robust mean of the laboratory means was assigned as certified values, for those compounds where the assigned value was derived from at least five datasets and its relative expanded uncertainty was less than 40% of the assigned value (most of the values ranging from 8 to 20%). All the datasets were derived from at least two different analytical techniques which have allowed the assignment of certified concentrations for 22 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 6 organochlorinated (OC) pesticides, 5 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs). Mass fractions of compounds that did not fulfill the criteria of certification are considered information values, which include 29 PAHs, 11 PCBs, 16 OC pesticides, and 5 PBDEs. The extensive characterization and associated uncertainties at concentration levels close to the marine sediment quality guidelines will make CRM 459 a valuable matrix reference material for use in marine environmental monitoring programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AMC (2001) Analytical Methods Committee (AMC), Statistical Subcommittee, Robust statistics: a method of coping with outliers, AMC Technical Brief No. 6. Royal Society of Chemistry

  • AMC (2006) Analytical Methods Committee (AMC), Statistical Subcommittee, representing data distributions with kernel density estimates, AMC Technical Brief No. 4. Royal Society of Chemistry

  • Aznar-Alemany O, Trabalon L, Jacobs S, Barbosa VL, Tejedor MF, Granby K, Kwadijk C, Cunha SC, Ferrari F, Vandermeersch G, Sioen I, Verbeke W, Vilavert L, Domingo JL, Eljarrat E, Barcelo D (2017) Occurrence of halogenated flame retardants in commercial seafood species available in European markets. Food Chem Toxicol 104:35–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Environment Canada (2003) Summary of Existing Canadian Environmental Quality guidelines. December 2003

  • Fang L, Wang W, Liu H, Qiu H, Zhao Y, Lu B, Wu Z (2015) Preparation and certification of two freshwater sediments certified reference materials for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Int J Environ Anal Chem 95:879–893

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FEQG (2013) Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines Polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, Environment Canada

  • GUM (2008) Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM), Evaluation of measurement data – Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement, JCGM 100: 2008 (GUM 1995 with minor corrections) http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcgm/JCGM_100_2008_E.pdf

  • International Atomic Energy Agency, (IAEA/AQ/52) (2017) Certification of mass fractions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorines and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in IAEA-459 marine sediment sample, IAEA Analytical Quality in Nuclear Applications Series No. 52, IAEA, Viennan.d.

  • ISO (2006) International Organization for Standardization ISO Guide 35:2006, Reference materials—general and statistical principles for certification, ISO, Geneva (2006)

  • ISO (2016) International Organization for Standardization ISO Guide 17034:2016 (E), General requirements for the competence of reference material producers, Geneva

  • ISO (2017) International Organization for Standardization ISO Guide 35:2017 (E), Reference Materials: Guidance for characterization and assessment of homogeneity and stability, Geneva

  • ISO (2005) Statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparisons, ISO 13528:2005 (E). ISO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsinger T, Pauwels J, Van Der Veen A, Schimmel H, Lamberty A (2001) A homogeneity and stability of reference materials. Accred Qual Assur 6:20–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald DD, Carr RS, Calder FD, Long ER, Ingersoll CG (1996) Development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines for Florida coastal waters. Ecotoxicology 5:253–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ricci M, Lava R, Koleva B (2016) Matrix certified reference materials for environmental monitoring under the EU water framework directive: an update. TrAC Trends Anal Chem 76:194–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SRM (1941b) Organics in marine sediment, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, 2015

  • SRM (1944) Certificate of analysis. New York/New Jersey Waterway Sediment (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, 2017)

  • Van Der Veen A, Linsinger T, Pauwels J (2001) Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials. 2 Homogeneity study. Accred Qual Assur 6:26–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wise SA, Poster DL, Schantz MM, Kucklick JR, Sander LC, Lopez de Alda M, Schubert P, Parris RM, Porter BJ (2004) Two new marine sediment standard reference materials (SRMs) for the determination of organic contaminants. Anal Bioanal Chem 378:1251–1264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The International Atomic Energy Agency is grateful to the participants and laboratories taking part in the IAEA-459 characterization study for their time and facilities. Special thanks are given to the Korean Institute of Ocean Science & Technology for the donation of the raw material. E. Vassileva, S. Azemard. M. Angelidis, L. Barilaro, M. Horsky, and A. Fajgelj are acknowledged for their advice and support. The IAEA is grateful for the support provided to its Marine Environment Laboratories by the Government of the Principality of Monaco. This work was supported by the UNEP MEDPOL Programme.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IAEA Environment Laboratories, 4a Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Principality of Monaco

    Imma Tolosa, Roberto Cassi & David Huertas

Authors
  1. Imma Tolosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roberto Cassi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Huertas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Imma Tolosa.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 27 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 48 kb)

ESM 3

(DOCX 24 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tolosa, I., Cassi, R. & Huertas, D. A new marine sediment certified reference material (CRM) for the determination of persistent organic contaminants: IAEA-459. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 7347–7355 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1895-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1895-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation