Stepping-up accurate quantification of chlorinated paraffins: successful certification of the first matrix reference material

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are industrial chemicals categorised as persistent organic pollutants. Despite having been the subject of environmental attention for decades, analytical methods for CPs still struggle reaching a sufficient degree of accuracy. Among the issues negatively impacting on their quantification, the unavailability of well-characterised standards, including matrix (Certified) Reference Materials (CRMs) has played a major role. In this contribution, we present the process of certification of ERM-CE100, the first fish reference material (RM) certified for the mass fraction of short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs). After confirmation of the homogeneity and stability of the RM, the value assignment step was carried out via an intercomparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and applying analytical methods based on different physical principles. Two certified values were assigned for SCCPs, depending on the calibrants used: 31 ± 9 µg/kg and 23 ± 7 µg/kg. The MCCPs certified value was established as 44 ± 17 µg/kg. All assigned values are relative to wet weight in the CRM that was produced as a fish paste to enhance similarity to routine biota samples. The fish tissue ERM-CE100 is the first matrix CRM commercially available for the analysis of CPs, enabling analytical laboratories to improve the accuracy and the metrological traceability of their measurements

RICCI Marina;  DE BOER Jacob;  JOHANSEN J.E.;  LIU H;  DUMAS Pierre;  WARNER Nicholas Alexander;  PERKONS Ingus;  MCGRATH Thomas Jacob;  BORGEN Anders Rosrud;  BJORNEBY Stine Marie;  TOMASKO Jakub;  STEER Helena;  LENTJES Anouk;  VAN VELZEN Martin;  VAN MOURIK Louise; 

2024-06-14

ELSEVIER

JRC135772

0003-2670 (online),   

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2024.342757,    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003267024005580,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC135772,   

10.1016/j.aca.2024.342757 (online),