TY - JOUR A1 - Baer, I. A1 - van de Kreeke, Johannes A1 - Linsinger, T.P.J. A1 - Robouch, P. A1 - Raposo, F.C. A1 - de la Calle, B. T1 - IMEP-24 analysis of eight trace elements in toys N2 - The International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP) organized the IMEP-24 interlaboratory comparison after reports in the media about high levels of lead in toys. The aim of this comparison was to verify the laboratories' capacity to evaluate trace-element levels in a possible toy-like material according to the European Standard EN 71-3:1994. As test material, it used a former certified reference material containing levels of antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead and selenium around the limits set in the standard. Four expert laboratories confirmed the reference values (Xref) for all elements but Hg, and established a reference value for Hg. The scatter of the results reported by the participants was large, as expected, but showed a close to normal distribution around the reference values for five of the eight trace elements. The spread of results was mainly attributed to sampling and sample preparation. One major issue observed in this exercise was the lack of legislative rules about how to report the result, or, more specifically, the use of the analytical correction, which was introduced in EN 71-3:1994 to achieve consistent interpretation of results and which is to be applied when values are equal to or above the maximum limits set in the standard. Its application by the participants was very inconsistent and led to problems in their evaluation. There is clearly a need for clarification and for more formal regulations with regard to result reporting in order to minimize the risk of confusion. Participants were also asked to give their opinion with regard to the acceptability of the test material for the market. The majority correctly considered the material as non-compliant. However, almost one-third incorrectly assessed the material as compliant. KW - Analytical correction KW - European Standard EN 71-3:1994 KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP) KW - Lead in toys KW - Toy safety KW - Trace element PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2010.09.007 SN - 0165-9936 SN - 0703-7147 VL - 30 IS - 2 SP - 313 EP - 323 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-23862 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Meier, Klaus A1 - Wäthen, U. A1 - Kipphardt, Heinrich A1 - Lamberty, A. A1 - Robouch, P. T1 - The certification of the mass fraction of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Sn and TI in four grades of unalloyed zinc intended for use in emission spectrometry - BCR-322R, BCR-323R, BCR-324R, BCR-325R, Project Report EUR 20267 EN PY - 2002 SN - 92-894-3706-5 SP - 1 EP - 55 PB - Office for Official Publications of the European Communities CY - Luxembourg AN - OPUS4-1606 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boley, N. A1 - van der Veen, A.M.H. A1 - Robouch, P. A1 - Golze, Manfred A1 - van de Kreeke, Johannes A1 - Örnemark, U. A1 - Tylee, B. T1 - Comparability of PT schemes - what did we learn from COEPT? N2 - Abstract The use of proficiency testing schemes (PTS) by laboratories as an integral part of their quality system has been increasing in recent years. Accreditation bodies, regulators and the laboratories’ customers are increasingly using results from PTS in their relationship with laboratories. There are many PTS available in Europe in analytical chemistry; EPTIS indicates over 400. The comparability of these PTS is now a real issue, as many organisers of PTS move into new markets. The COEPT project has systematically demonstrated (in four technical sectors – water, soil, food and occupational hygiene), that there are many similarities between PTS in each sector. For example, nearly all use the z-score as a performance index. One significant difference between many PTS is the value used for the term s in the z-score equation, and this gives a range of evaluations for the same data point. Despite this, the agreement between PTS in the same sector for the evaluation of data is approximately 85%. COEPT has given us a basis for establishing the comparability of PTS and showing us where further harmonisation could occur. KW - Proficiency testing KW - Comparability KW - Harmonisation PY - 2006 SN - 0949-1775 SN - 1432-0517 VL - 11 IS - 8-9 SP - 391 EP - 399 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-14162 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cordeiro, F. A1 - Llorente-Mirandes, T. A1 - López-Sánchez, J.F. A1 - Rubio, R. A1 - Sánchez-Agullo, A. A1 - Raber, G. A1 - Scharf, Holger A1 - Vélez, D. A1 - Devesa, V. A1 - Fiamegos, Y. A1 - Emteborg, H. A1 - Seghers, J. A1 - Robouch, P. A1 - De la Calle, M.B. T1 - Determination of total cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury and inorganic arsenic in mushrooms: outcome of IMEP-116 and IMEP-39 N2 - The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate General of the European Commission, operates the International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP). IMEP organises inter-laboratory comparisons in support of European Union policies. This paper presents the results of two proficiency tests (PTs): IMEP-116 and IMEP-39, organised for the determination of total Cd, Pb, As, Hg and inorganic As (iAs) in mushrooms. Participation in IMEP-116 was restricted to National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) officially appointed by national authorities in European Union member states. IMEP-39 was open to all other laboratories wishing to participate. Thirty-seven participants from 25 countries reported results in IMEP-116, and 62 laboratories from 36 countries reported for the IMEP-39 study. Both PTs were organised in support to Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006, which sets the maximum levels for certain contaminants in food. The test item used in both PTs was a blend of mushrooms of the variety shiitake (Lentinula edodes). Five laboratories, with demonstrated measurement capability in the field, provided results to establish the assigned values (Xref). The standard uncertainties associated to the assigned values (uref) were calculated by combining the uncertainty of the characterisation (uchar) with a contribution for homogeneity (ubb) and for stability (ust), whilst uchar was calculated following ISO 13528. Laboratory results were rated with z- and zeta (ζ)-scores in accordance with ISO 13528. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment, σp, ranged from 10% to 20% depending on the analyte. The percentage of satisfactory z-scores ranged from 81% (iAs) to 97% (total Cd) in IMEP-116 and from 64% (iAs) to 84% (total Hg) in IMEP-39. KW - Inorganic arsenic KW - Trace elements KW - Mushrooms KW - Proficiency test PY - 2015 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-326092 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2014.966336 SN - 1944-0057 SN - 1944-0049 VL - 32 IS - 1 SP - 54 EP - 67 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-32609 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -