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Data file (RData) containing measurement data recorded during the production process of the Certified Reference Material BAM-A001 containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in olive oil. The data can be most conveniently openend using the Shiny-App eCerto which is accessible at https://www.bam.de/eCerto.
New Reference Materials for Quantification and Standardization of Fluorescence-based Measurements
(2022)
Luminescence techniques are amongst the most commonly used analytical methods in the life and material sciences due to their high sensitivity and non-destructive and multiparametric character. Photoluminescence signals are, however, affected by wavelength-, polarization-, and time-dependent instrument specific effects and the compound-specific photoluminescence quantum yield. The former hamper the comparability of fluorescence measurements, while the relative determination of the latter requires suitable quantum yield standards with well-known photoluminescence quantum yields. For the simple correction of instrument specific effects in the wavelength region of 300 nm to 950 nm, the set of the five certified spectral fluorescence standards (CRM) BAM-F001 – BAM-F005, has been extended to the NIR range by including two new fluorescence standards currently under certification.
Luminescence techniques are amongst the most commonly used analytical methods in the life and material sciences due to their high sensitivity and non-destructive and multiparametric character. Photoluminescence signals are, however, affected by wavelength-, polarization-, and time-dependent instrument specific effect and the compound-specific photoluminescence quantum yield. The former hamper the comparability of fluorescence measurements, while the relative determination of the latter requires suitable quantum yield standards with well-known photoluminescence quantum yields (QY). For the simple correction of instrument specific effects in the wavelength region of 300 nm to 950 nm, the set of the five certified spectral fluorescence standards BAM-F001 – BAM-F005, has been extended to the NIR range by including two new fluorescence standards currently under certification. For the reliable and accurate determination of QY which is the key performance parameter for the comparison of different luminophores, we certified a set of 12 quantum yield standards, which absorb and emit in the wavelength range from 300 nm to 1000 nm.
Supplementary comparison study - measurement capabilities for the quantification of ethanol in water
(2022)
The accurate quantification of ethanol in water is essential for forensic applications such as blood and breath alcohol testing and for commercial applications such as the assessment of alcoholic beverages.
The intercomparison EURAMET.QM-S14 is part of a capacity building project named ALCOREF “Certified forensic alcohol reference materials”
that is running within the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR). The intercomparison should allow project partners and other interested National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) to benchmark their analytical methods for the quantification of ethanol in water. The study plan was agreed by the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET) Subcommittee Bio- and Organic Analysis (SCBOA) and the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM) in February and April 2019, respectively. The intercomparison was coordinated by BAM. Two concentration levels relevant for the calibration and verification of evidential breath alcohol analysers were distributed to study participants. Fifteen institutes from 15 countries registered for the intercomparison and returned results. Participants mostly applied gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) or mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), one participant used titrimetry and one participant employed a test bench for breath analyser calibration (“bubble train”). Participants did either in-house purity assessment of their commercial ethanol calibrants by Karl-Fischer titration, chromatographic methods, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) and/or density measurements; or they used ethanol/water Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) from NMIs/DIs for calibration.
CCQM OAWG agreed to use a consensus value from participants results that utilizes the reported uncertainties as Key Comparison Reference Value (KCRV). The Gaussian Random effects model with Hierarchical Bayesian solution (HB-REM) is a reasonable approach in this case. The KCRVs and Degrees of Equivalence (DoEs) were calculated with the NIST consensus builder version 1.2 Hierarchical Bayes procedure.
Successful participation in the interlaboratory comparison has demonstrated the capabilities in determining the mass fraction of ethanol in aqueous matrices in the range 0.1 mg/g to 8 mg/g. Fourteen out of 15 participants have successfully quantified both samples, one participant successfully quantified only the lower-level (0.6 mg/g) sample.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of priority organic pollutants, which contaminate environmental compartments, food, and consumer products as well. Due to their frequent occurrence associated with elevated Levels of PAHs, plastic and rubber parts of consumer products and toys are particular sources of exposure. Although European maximum levels exist for eight carcinogenic PAHs in consumer products and toys according to REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, certified reference materials (CRM) are still not available. To overcome this lack, the first CRM for the determination of PAHs in rubber toys (BAM-B001) was developed according to the requirements of ISO Guide 35. The whole process of CRM development including preparation, homogeneity and stability studies, and value assignment is presented.
The assignment of the certified mass fractions was based upon in-house study at BAM using stable isotope Dilution analysis (SIDA) gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The obtained values were confirmed by the results of two interlaboratory comparison (ILC) studies with more than 50 expert laboratories from Germany and China. The mass fractions of 14 PAHs including all REACH and GS mark regulated compounds were certified ranging between 0.2 and 15.4 mg/
kg accompanied by expanded uncertainties (coverage factor k = 2). In addition, informative values were determined for 4 PAHs, mainly due to higher uncertainties and/or lack of ILC data for confirmation. BAM-B001 is intended for analytical quality control particularly based on the AfPS GS 2019:01 PAK method and contributes to improve the chemical safety of consumer products including toys.
The poster presents the main achievements of the capacity building project ALCOREF “Forensic alcohol reference materials”. The project was part of the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR).
Altogether 43 certified ethanol in water reference materials (CRMs) in the mass fraction range of 0.1 to 7 mg/g were developed by project partners. These CRMS are suitable for the calibration and verification of evidential breath alcohol analysers according to the requirements of the International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML). Furthermore, 10 new or improved Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC) claims for purity assessment of ethanol and ethanol quantification were prepared. Newly established measurement capabilities and the new CRMs were successfully tested in three intercomparisons conducted as official intercomparisons of EURAMET Technical Committee for Metrology in Chemistry.
The presentation provides an overview of the EMPIR project ALCOREF “Certified forensic alcohol reference materials”. Results of an EURAMET intercomparison of ethanol in water reference materials developed in the project are presented, and two different statistical models for the key comparison reference function are discussed, the Frequentist approach and a Bayesian approach.
The presentation summarizes the results of the EURAMET key comparison QM-S13 “Comparison of value assigned forensic alcohol in water reference materials”. Possible options for the key comparison reference function (KCRF) are discussed: the frequentist approach and a Bayesian approach. Both methods are used to determine the degrees of equivalence of materials and participants.
The presentation summarizes the results of the EURAMET key comparison QM-S14 “Measurement capabilities for the quantification of ethanol in water”. Possible options for the key comparison reference value (KCRV) are discussed. A Bayesian approach is finally used to estimate the KCRV and the degrees of equivalence of participants.
Since 1 January 2019 a maximum content of 0.6 mg kg−1 cadmium (Cd) in cocoa powder sold to the final consumer or as an ingredient in sweetened cocoa powder sold to the final consumer (drinking chocolate) is set by the Commission Regulation (EU) No. 488/2014. Monitoring compliance with the specified limit value requires analytical measuring methods and reference materials for quality control. However, suitable certified reference materials intended for quality assurance and quality control purposes are still lacking. Therefore, three cocoa reference materials (ERM®-BD513, ERM®-514 and ERM®-515) were developed according to the requirements of ISO 17034 and the recommendations of ISO Guide 35. The whole process of reference material development, including material preparation, assessment of homogeneity and stability, characterisation and value assignment is presented. The assignment of the certified mass fractions was based upon an interlaboratory comparison study involving 19 expert laboratories for Cd and 12 laboratories for acrylamide. The certified mass fractions and expanded uncertainties (k = 2) of the reference materials were (0.181 ± 0.009) mg kg−1 Cd (ERM®-BD513), (0.541 ± 0.024) mg kg−1 Cd (ERM®-BD514) and (0.690 ± 0.029) mg kg−1 Cd (ERM®-BD515). Acrylamide contents are given for information.
Due to their toxicity and widespread application for mining and industrial purposes, cyanides are ranking among the most important inorganic pollutants which should be tested and monitored not only in the aquatic environment, but also in soils and soil-like materials. Reference materials of soils with relevant contents of cyanide to ensure reliable test results of laboratories are rare today.
New certified reference material (CRM) BAM-U116/CGL306 “Cyanide in soil” was produced within a framework of cooperation between Central Geological Laboratory (CGL) of Mongolia and Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) of Germany in 2013-2017.
The CRM BAM-U116/CGL306 represents a mixture of a sandy soil collected from a contaminated former gasworks area in the Berlin region (Germany) and an unpolluted sandy soil from Nalaikh region (Mongolia). The bulk candidate material for this reference material was prepared at CGL CRM Laboratory exclusively destined to the preparation of reference materials and equipped with modern technical equipment. Homogeneity, stability and shelf life were studied in full compliance with ISO Guide 35. The CRM was evaluated as sufficiently homogeneous. Statistical evaluation of certification analysis was performed using software packages SoftCRM and ProLab Plus. Certified value of total cyanide of the CRM is 12.0 mg/kg and expanded uncertainty was assigned as 0.8 mg/kg.
The intended purpose of this material is the verification of analytical results obtained for the mass fraction of total cyanide in soils and soil-like materials applying the standardized procedure ISO 11262:2011. As any reference material, it can also be used for routine performance checks (quality control charts) or validation studies.
This project aims to develop capacity to produce certified reference materials (CRMs) for environmental analysis by transferring know-how between the partners and combining their skills to focus on environmental CRM production. The production process includes good manufacturing practices for processing materials, method development, the validation and application of homogeneity, stability and characterisation tests, the calculation of individual uncertainties (between-unit inhomogeneity, long term stability, characterisation) and combination of uncertainties to determine overall uncertainty of the matrix reference materials. An inter laboratory comparison registered as a EURAMET project is set as the ultimate project outcome, confirming the partners’ capabilities in applying newly acquired skills.
Due to their toxicity and widespread application for mining and industrial purposes, cyanides are ranking among the most important inorganic pollutants which should be tested and monitored not only in the aquatic environment, but also in soils and soil-like materials. Reference materials of soils with relevant contents of cyanide to ensure reliable test results of laboratories are rare today.
New certified reference material (CRM) BAM-U116/CGL306 “Cyanide in soil” was produced within a framework of cooperation between Central Geological Laboratory (CGL) of Mongolia and Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) of Germany in 2013-2017.
The CRM BAM-U116/CGL306 represents a mixture of a sandy soil collected from a contaminated former gasworks area in the Berlin region (Germany) and an unpolluted sandy soil from Nalaikh region (Mongolia). The bulk candidate material for this reference material was prepared at CGL CRM Laboratory exclusively destined to the preparation of reference materials and equipped with modern technical equipment. Homogeneity, stability and shelf life were studied in full compliance with ISO Guide 35. The CRM was evaluated as sufficiently homogeneous. Stability study proved that the quality of the material can be ensured for at least two years upon receipt when stored at a temperature below 25 °C in its original tightly closed bottle.
Statistical evaluation of certification analysis was performed using software packages SoftCRM and ProLab Plus. Certified value of total cyanide of the CRM is 12.0 mg/kg and expanded uncertainty was assigned as 0.8 mg/kg.
The intended purpose of this material is the verification of analytical results obtained for the mass fraction of total cyanide in soils and soil-like materials applying the standardized procedure ISO 11262:2011. As any reference material, it can also be used for routine performance checks (quality control charts) or validation studies.
The certified reference material BAM-L200, a nanoscale stripe pattern for length calibration and specification of lateral resolution, is described. BAM-L200 is prepared from a cross-sectioned epitaxially grown layer stack of AlxGa1-xAs and InxGa1 xAs on a GaAs substrate. The surface of BAM-L200 provides a flat pattern with stripe widths ranging down to 1 nm. Calibration distances, grating periods and stripe widths have been certified by TEM with traceability to the length unit. The combination of gratings, isolated narrow stripes and sharp edges of wide stripes offers a plenty of options for the determination of lateral resolution, sharpness and calibration of length scale at selected settings of imaging surface analytical instruments. The feasibility of the reference material for an analysis of the lateral resolution is demonstrated in detail by evaluation of ToF-SIMS, AES and EDX images. Other applications developed in the community are summarized, too. BAM-L200 fully supports the implementation of the revised International Standard ISO 18516 (in preparation) which is based on knowledge outlined in the Technical Report ISO/TR 19319:2013.
The talk presents an analytical method for the quantification of ethanol in water. The method is based on gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection and on-column injection. It is used at BAM for the certification and quality assurance of reference materials for the calibration of evidential breath alcohol analysers.
Reference nanomaterials
(2016)
This chapter reviews relevant aspects of the still less explored field of RNMs. In the first part, definition of RMs according to different metrological levels was presented as well as the general strategy on their development. In the second part, the importance of RNMs in material science and nanotoxicology is explained and considerations on the use of silica nano-objects as potential future reference material was discussed. Overall, several points should be highlighted from this chapter: Definition of a reference material depends on the level of standardization. Certified reference material represents the highest level of traceability. Different types of reference materials, standard materials and certified reference materials are available, as shown in Table 3.1. The preparation of nano-objects with well-defined mechanical properties is still an unsolved issue and thus needs further R&D activities. Nevertheless, amorphous silica seems to be a promising candidate for reaching this objective. Traceable properties of nanomaterials are still limited to few cases such as primary particle size and thickness measurements of very thin films. In general, developed RMs are monoparametric thus, only one characteristic of the nano-objects is reported. In nanotoxicology, the challenge is in the development of suitable RNM that bears similarities to the measurements made on the sample analysed.
The certified reference material BAM-L200, a nanoscale stripe pattern for length calibration and specification of lateral resolution, is described. BAM-L200 is prepared from a cross-sectioned epitaxially grown layer stack of AlxGa1–xAs and InxGa1–xAs on a GaAs substrate. The surface of BAM-L200 provides a flat pattern with stripe widths ranging down to 1 nm. Calibration distances, grating periods and stripe widths have been certified by TEM with traceability to the length unit. The combination of gratings, isolated narrow stripes and sharp edges of wide stripes offers plenty of options for the determination of lateral resolution, sharpness and calibration of length scale at selected settings of imaging surface-analytical instruments. The feasibility of the reference material for an analysis of the lateral resolution is demonstrated in detail by evaluation of ToF-SIMS, AES and EDX images. Other applications developed in the community are summarized, too. BAM-L200 fully supports the implementation of the revised International Standard ISO 18516 (in preparation) which is based on knowledge outlined in the Technical Report ISO/TR 19319:2013.
Cyanides are among the most important inorganic pollutants to be tested and monitored in environmental compartments. They can be distinguished and determined as free cyanide, weak acid dissociable cyanide or as total cyanide. However, in any case obtained, measurement results are operationally defined referring to the applied analytical method. In 2011, the International Standard ISO 11262 has been published which specifies a normative analytical method for the determination of total cyanide in soil. The objective of the project described in this paper was to provide the first soil reference material (CRM) certified for its mass fraction of total cyanide on the basis of this standard. A total of 12 German laboratories with proven experience in the determination of cyanides in environmental samples participated in the certification study. Measurement results were evaluated in full compliance with the requirements of ISO Guide 35. Taking into account the results of the inter-laboratory comparison as well as the outcome of the homogeneity and stability studies, a certified mass fraction of total cyanide of 21.1 mg/kg and an expanded uncertainty (k=2) of 1.3 mg/kg were assigned to the material. The reference material has been issued as CRM BAM-U114.
Adhesion and other mechanical behaviour of coatings is at present routinely tested in industry and research organisations using the scratch test. The test has been the subject of a European Standard prEN 1071-3:2000 established by the European Standards Committee CEN TC184 WG5. A previous European project on the development and validation of test methods for thin hard coatings—FASTE—revealed that uncertainties in the Rockwell C stylus tip shape represent a major source of error for the scratch-test method. Therefore a follow-up project—REMAST—was started to develop and certify a reference material as a quality control tool for the testing and qualification of scratch-test instruments. In addition, a considerable effort was devoted to improve the scratch stylus manufacturing process. This paper presents the results of the REMAST project. During a feasibility study, two candidate materials—titanium nitride (TiN) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings both on high speed steel substrates—were evaluated. Because of the lower sensitivity to styli tip shape variations and higher data scatter observed for the TiN coating, DLC was chosen as the reference material to be certified. One thousand samples were produced, as well as qualified styli to carry out the certification campaign, including homogeneity and stability testing. Nine independent laboratories were involved in the certification exercise, and the data were statistically analysed to obtain the certified critical load values and their uncertainty ranges. A certified reference material BCR-692 is available for verification purposes. This presents three repeatable failure events at certified critical load intervals and can provide a good indication of overall scratch-test instrument performance, including stylus condition and calibration. It is also useful as a diagnostic tool, providing a means of sensitive monitoring of machine and stylus performance over extended periods. Considerable improvement of the quality of scratch styli was achieved by the strict control of all manufacturing steps.
The certification of a boron carbide reference material for chemical composition is described. The mass fractions of 16 elements and two boron species are certified in an international interlaboratory comparison with 35 participating laboratories from six different countries. Beside chemical characterization the certification process includes homogeneity and stability testing of the candidate material boron carbide (type F360, 305M422). Details of the analytical methods used for chemical characterization and of the calculation of the uncertainties of the certified mass fractions are given. The new reference material ERM®-ED102 with certified mass fractions of 18 parameters (elements and species) and of the amount fraction of the isotope 10B is a valuable tool for laboratories working in the field of advanced ceramic materials analysis to improve their analytical results.
Ethanol/water solutions as certified reference materials for breath alcohol analyzer calibration
(2010)
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Germany, has issued a series of large volume ethanol in water certified reference materials (CRMs), primarily developed for the calibration of evidential breath alcohol analyzers in Germany. The certified parameter is the ethanol mass concentration at 20 °C. When used in a wet bath simulator, the solutions deliver gas samples that meet the requirements set by the Organization of Legal Metrology for calibration of breathalyzers. The materials were prepared gravimetrically by spiking of ethanol into water in single 5 L units. A complete uncertainty budget for the preparation process has been established. The purity of the commercial ethanol stock solution was identified to be the main source of uncertainty. For stability and homogeneity measurements and for the verification of the gravimetric mass concentration of the CRMs, a robust high-precision gas chromatography, with flame-ionization detection method for ethanol determination in aqueous samples was developed and validated. The good performance of this method has been demonstrated in several international comparisons organized by the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance-Metrology in Chemistry at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
The mass fraction of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) from a specific batch was certified as an acidimetric standard. Two different analytical methods on a metrological level were used to carry out certification analysis: precision constant current coulometric and volumetric titration with NaOH. It could be shown that with a commercial automatic titration system in combination with a reliable software for the end-point detection it is possible to produce equivalent results with the same accuracy in comparison to a definite method handled by a fundamental apparatus for traceable precision coulometry. Prerequisite for titrations are that a high number of single measurement are applied which are calibrated with a high precision certified reference material.
A layer of Sb atoms, implanted with an energy of 400 keV and a nominal dose of 5×1016 atoms/cm2 into a high purity silicon wafer, was certified for its areal density (atoms/cm2) using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) and for its isotope ratio using INAA and ICP-IDMS. Excellent agreement between the results of the different independent methods was found. In the present work, the measurements of the homogeneity of the areal density of Sb, previously determined with RBS in spots having 1 mm diameter, are improved with synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis: Higher precision in even smaller sample spots allows to estimate a reduced inhomogeneity of the whole batch of samples of the order of only 0.4%. Thus the uncertainty of the certified value can further be reduced. Down to fractions of a chip with 0.3×0.4 mm2 area, the areal density is now certified as (4.81±0.06)×1016 Sb atoms/cm2, where the expanded uncertainty 0.06 (coverage factor k=2) corresponds to only 1.2%. The relative merits of the different analytical methods are discussed.
The pore size analysis of solids is widely applied in chemical industries, materials engineering, ceramic production, environmental engineering, catalysis, chromatography, nanotechnology, and many other fields. In spite of several new methods used for determining the pore size distribution of meso- and macropores [see IUPAC Recommendations of 1994], mercury porosimetry has remained one of the most popular methods employed for the characterisation of porous materials. In this paper, a new way is described for the estimation of certified pressure-volume curves from experimental curves measured by different laboratories in connection with the certification of new reference materials for a comparatively low-pressure range of mercury intrusion (<2 MPa). Simultaneous confidence and prediction bands for the certified pressure-volume curves are constructed by bootstrapping.