TY - JOUR A1 - Zeleny, R. A1 - Voorspoels, S. A1 - Ricci, M. A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Jung, Christian A1 - Bremser, Wolfram A1 - Sittidech, M. A1 - Panyawathanakit, N. A1 - Wong, W. F. A1 - Choi, S.M. A1 - Lo, K.C. A1 - Yeung, W. Y. A1 - Kim, D.H. A1 - Han, J. A1 - Ryu, J. A1 - Mingwu, S. A1 - Chao, W. A1 - Schantz, M.M. A1 - Lippa, K.A. A1 - Matsuyama, S. T1 - Evaluation of the state-of-the-art measurement capabilities for selected PBDEs and decaBB in plastic by the international intercomparison CCQM-P114 JF - Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry N2 - An international intercomparison involving eight national metrology institutes (NMIs) was conducted to establish their current measurement capabilities for determining five selected congeners from the brominated flame retardant classes polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated biphenyls. A candidate reference material consisting of polypropylene fortified with technical mixtures of penta-, octa- and decabromo diphenyl ether and decabromo biphenyl, which was thoroughly assessed for material homogeneity and stability, was used as study material. The analytical procedures applied by the participants differed with regard to sample pre-treatment, extraction, clean-up, employed calibrants and type of calibration procedure as well as regarding analytical methods used for separation, identification and quantification of the flame retardant congeners (gas chromatography coupled to an electron capture detector (GC-ECD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron ionisation mode (GC-EI-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron capture negative ionisation mode (GC-ECNI-MS), and liquid chromatography-inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS)). The laboratory means agreed well with relative standard deviations of the mean of means of 1.9%, 4.8%, 5.5% and 5.4% for brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) 47, 183 and 209 and for the brominated biphenyl (BB) congener 209, respectively. For BDE 206, a relative standard deviation of 28.5% was obtained. For all five congeners, within-laboratory relative standard deviations of six measurements obtained under intermediate precision conditions were between 1% and 10%, and reported expanded measurements uncertainties typically ranged from 4% to 10% (8% to 14% for BDE 206). Furthermore, the results are in good agreement with those obtained in the characterization exercise for determining certified values for the flame retardant congeners in the same material. The results demonstrate the state-of-the-art measurement capabilities of NMIs for quantifying representative BDE congeners and BB 209 in a polymer. The outcome of this intercomparison (pilot study) in conjunction with possible improvements for employing exclusively calibrants with thoroughly assessed purity suggests that a key comparison aiming at underpinning calibration and measurement capability (CMC) claims of NMIs can be conducted. KW - Flame retardants KW - Polymer KW - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) KW - Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) KW - International intercomparison PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3314-7 SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 396 IS - 4 SP - 1501 EP - 1511 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-22905 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Braun, Ulrike T1 - Reference materials for microplastics in environmental matrices N2 - The pollution of marine, limnic and terrestrial environments with plastic waste and the potential impact especially on biota and humans has received increasing attention in recent years. Special focus is on particles smaller than 5 mm, the so-called microplastics. Consequently, possible regulations of emission and remediation efforts require sound information on the occurrence and fate of microplastics in the respective environmental compartments. Microplastics (MP) differ from classical organic pollutants in biota or the environment in that they do not consist of clearly defined low-molecular weight compounds but of polymer particulates with varying sizes and chemical compositions. This leads to specific challenges regarding the analytical techniques to be employed for their identification and quantification. Microplastics are defined as polymer particle in the size range between 1 µm and 5 mm and cover a wide range of polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate in variable geometric shapes. Properties relevant for environmental microplastics are polymer type, particle form and size distribution, surface morphology (aging status) and total mass fraction contained in a given sample. Polymer identification and particle size estimation using optical methods (IR and Raman spectroscopy) are time consuming and complicated by surface characteristics as a result of weathering, soiling, and microbial colonisation. Total mass fractions of MP in environmental samples can be determined by thermo-analytical methods. There are currently no standardised methods for sampling, sampling preparation, or detection of MP in environmental samples. So far, qualitative and quantitative investigations are done by research institutes and have not reached the routine laboratory community. The near future will see harmonisation efforts of MP mass fraction determination in environmental matrices by thermo-analytical procedures. The immediate need for reference materials during method development and comparison is outlined with regard to relevant matrix/polymer compositions, existing regulations and currently achievable detection limits. Examples for solid environmental matrix reference materials are discussed regarding the challenges encountered with matrices and polymer types as well as homogeneity testing and property value characterisation. T2 - BERM 2018 15th International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 23 September 2018 KW - Referenzmaterialien KW - Schwebstoffe KW - Sediment KW - Polymer PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46209 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -