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contaminated river sediment

Contaminated river sediment ERM^®-CC020

Starting material for the preparation of the new certified reference material ERM^®-CC020 was a mixture of river sediments collected at different locations in the eastern part of Germany.

The material was certified according to the principles laid down in ISO Guide 35:2006 and in the technical guidelines of the European Reference Materials^® co-operation agreement between BAM, IRMM, and LGC.

Certified values are given for aqua regia extractable (ISO 11466) mass fractions of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V and Zn. ERM^®-CC020 is available as a powder with particle sizes below 63 µm. It is intended for the verification of analytical results obtained by standardised procedures as well as for the validation of modified or new analytical procedures.

ERM^®-CC020  report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Holger Scharf; phone: +49 30 8104-1114; fax: +49 30 8104-1117; email: holger.scharf@bam.de}

^2012-02-06

New certified reference materials ERM^®-EB104, ERM^®-EB105 and ERM^®-EB106

In the new certified reference materials ERM^®-EB104, ERM^®-EB105 and ERM^®-EB106 PbCaSn mass fractions of the elements Ca, Sn (ERM^®-EB104, -106) respectively Ca, Sn, Ag, Bi, (ERM^®-EB105) have been certified. Certification was done in an international certification round robin in cooperation with the working group “Lead” of the committee of chemists of GDMB (Gesellschaft für Bergbau, Metallurgie, Rohstoff- und Umwelttechnik). The CRMs contain Ca and Sn graduated, so that they are well suitable for calibration purposes.

The materials are available in form of discs (40 mm height, 40 mm diameter) for the use in spark emission and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

ERM^®-EB104-106 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Sebastian Recknagel, phone: +49 30 8104-1111; fax: +49 30 8104-1117; email: sebastian.recknagel@bam.de
2011-12-15}

Ochratoxin A (OTA) in ground roasted coffee

Ochratoxin A (OTA) in ground roasted coffee ERM^®-BD475

The reliable surveillance of current maximum levels for mycotoxins is an essential part of food safety and consumer protection. According to the European regulation No. 123/2005 maximum levels for different foods exist for the hepato- and nephrotoxic mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA), e.g. OTA in roasted coffee (5 µg/kg).
The goal of the certification of ERM^®-BD475 was the development of a reference material with an OTA-content close to the regulatory limit which had not been available prior to this.
ERM^®-BD475 is a ground roasted coffee (< 0.5 mm) spiked with OTA prior to homogenization. The material was certified according to the principles laid down in ISO Guide 35:2006 and in the technical guidelines of the European Reference Materials^® co-operation agreement between BAM, IRMM, and LGC. The HPLC-MS/MS method with ¹³C₂₀-OTA as internal standard was used for the in-house certification at BAM. In a supporting interlaboratory comparison study particularly immunoaffinity chromatography and HPLC with fluorescence detection were applied.

ERM^®-BD475 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Mathias Koch, phone: +49 30 8104-1123; fax: +49 30 8104-1127; email: matthias.koch@bam.de
2011-06-21}

Ochratoxin A (OTA) in red wine

Ochratoxin A (OTA) in red wine ERM^®-BD476

The reliable surveillance of current maximum levels for mycotoxins is an essential part of food safety and consumer protection. According to the European regulation No. 123/2005 maximum levels for different foods exist for the hepato- and nephrotoxic mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA), e.g. OTA in wine (2 µg/kg).
The goal of the certification of ERM^®-BD476 was the development of a reference material with an OTA-concentration close to the regulatory limit which had not been available prior to this.
Starting material for ERM^®-BD476 is a naturally contaminated red wine from a retail market in Berlin. The material was certified according to the principles laid down in ISO Guide 35:2006 and in the technical guidelines of the European Reference Materials^® co-operation agreement between BAM, IRMM, and LGC. The HPLC-MS/MS method with ¹³C₂₀-OTA as internal standard was used for the in-house certification at BAM. In a supporting interlaboratory comparison study particularly immunoaffinity chromatography and HPLC with fluorescence detection were applied.

ERM^®-BD476 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Mathias Koch, phone: +49 30 8104-1123; fax: +49 30 8104-1127; email: matthias.koch@bam.de
2011-06-21}

Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat flour

Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat flour ERM^®-BC600

The reliable surveillance of current maximum levels for mycotoxins is an essential part of food safety and consumer protection. Under moderate climate conditions the predominating genera of fusarium moulds is able to produce a broad range of toxins on cereals and cereal based products. Zearalenone (ZON) and deoxynivalenol (DON) belong to the most relevant fusarium toxins. Whereas ZON is known for its estrogenic properties DON can cause gastrointestinal and immunosuppressive effects in particular. European maximum levels for ZON and DON are in force for unprocessed cereals, bread and infant food.
The goal of the certification of ERM^®-BC600 was the development of a reference material with relevant ZON- and DON-contents which had not been available prior to this. The starting material for ERM^®-BC600 is wheat infected by fusarium culmorum. The certification of the dried, milled (< 1 mm) and homogenized material was done according to the principles laid down in ISO Guide 35:2006 and in the technical guidelines of the European Reference Materials® co-operation agreement between BAM, IRMM, and LGC by participation of selected expert laboratories in an interlaboratory comparison study for certification.

ERM^®-BC600 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Mathias Koch, phone: +49 30 8104-1123; fax: +49 30 8104-1127; email: matthias.koch@bam.de
2011-06-21}

Electronic scrap

Electronic scrap melted with pyrite ERM^®-EZ505

Printed circuit boards are a source for precious metals of economic interest. The price for used printed circuit boards depends on the precious metals content and on the current price for metals like silver, gold, platinum and palladium. Resulting from the high price for precious metals, accurate determination of these elements is necessary. To ensure this, certified reference materials for calibration or quality control are required. The new reference material ERM^®-EZ505 closes a gap in the field of electronic scrap analysis.
Used mixed and printed circuit boards were taken as initial material. These boards were doped with Be, In and Pt, ashed and melted with approx. the same amount of pyrite (FeS₂). After milling and grinding the material was sieved to a particle size below 150 µm and homogenised thoroughly. Mass fractions of Cu, Ni, Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Be and In were certified. ERM^®-EZ505 is available in 200 ml amber glass containers each filled with 200 g of material.

ERM^®-EZ505 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Sebastian Recknagel, phone: +49 30 8104-1111; fax: +49 30 8104-1117; email: sebastian.recknagel@bam.de
2011-02-18}

Contaminated sandy soil

Contaminated sandy soil ERM^®-CC018

Starting material for the preparation of the new certified reference material ERM^®-CC018 was a sandy soil collected from a stockpile excavated during a remediation campaign on an industrial wasteland in the Berlin region (Germany).

The material was certified on the basis of analytical results obtained in several BAM working groups according to the principles laid down in ISO Guide 35:2006 and in the technical guidelines of the European Reference Materials® co-operation agreement between BAM, IRMM, and LGC.

Certified values are given for aqua regia extractable (ISO 11466) mass fractions of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V and Zn. The CRM is available as a powder with particle sizes below 63 µm and is intended for the verification of analytical results obtained by standardised procedures as well as for the validation of modified or new analytical procedures.

ERM^®-CC018 report

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Holger Scharf; phone: +49 30 8104-1114; fax: +49 30 8104-1117; email: holger.scharf@bam.de
2010-12-13}

Boron isotope reference materials

First reference materials worldwide certified for δ¹¹B

Isotope reference materials are essential to enable the determination of reliable and comparable isotope data. Besides the correction of mass fractionation or mass discrimination isotope reference materials are indispensible for validation and quality control of analytical procedures. The BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing has produced and certified the first reference materials worldwide being certified for δ¹¹B. In general δ-values of specific elements express the difference of an isotope ratio of a sample relative to an international accepted standard in per mill. Such δ-values are used in science and technology to study geochemical and environmental processes and to determine the provenance of food and the origin of forensic and archaeological artefacts.

The three brand-new boron isotope reference materials are certified for their δ¹¹B-values relative to NIST SRM 951 which is the internationally accepted origin of the δ-scale for boron. The certified δ¹¹B values are -20.2 (6) ‰ for ERM^®-AE120, 19.9 (6) ‰ for ERM^®-AE121 and 39.7 (6) ‰ for ERM^®-AE122 and cover about three-quarters of the known natural boron isotope variability. The δ¹¹B reference materials are primarily intended to be used for quality control and the validation of chemical and mass spectrometric procedures.

Additionally, two isotope reference materials, ERM^®-AE102a and ERM^®-AE104a, have been certified. ERM^®-AE102a and ERM^®-AE104a are replacing the nearly exhausted boron isotope reference materials ERM^®-AE102 and ERM^®-AE104 with certified isotope abundance ratios 11B/10B are 2.3338 (30) for ERM^®-AE102a and 2.1758 (28) for ERM^®-AE104a.

Together with the formerly certified ERM^®-AE101 and -AE103 a unique set of four isotope reference materials and three δ-reference materials for boron isotope analysis is now available from BAM.

Report and safety data sheet

^{Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Jochen Vogl; phone +49 30 8104-1144; fax: +49 30 8104-3527; email: jochen.vogl@bam.de
2010-11-30}

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