Under the auspices of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM) a key comparison, CCQM K55.b, was coordinated by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in 2010/2011. Nineteen national measurement institutes and the BIPM participated. Participants were required to assign the mass fraction of aldrin present as the main component in the comparison sample for CCQM-K55.b which consisted of technical grade aldrin obtained from the National Measurement Institute Australia that had been subject to serial recrystallization and drying prior to sub-division into the units supplied for the comparison.
Aldrin was selected to be representative of the performance of a laboratory's measurement capability for the purity assignment of organic compounds of medium structural complexity [molar mass range 300 Da to 500 Da] and low polarity (pKOW < -2) for which related structure impurities can be quantified by capillary gas phase chromatography (GC).
The key comparison reference value (KCRV) for the aldrin content of the material was 950.8 mg/g with a combined standard uncertainty of 0.85 mg/g. The KCRV was assigned by combination of KCRVs assigned by consensus from participant results for each orthogonal impurity class. The relative expanded uncertainties reported by laboratories having results consistent with the KCRV ranged from 0.3% to 0.6% using a mass balance approach and 0.5% to 1% using a qNMR method.
The major analytical challenge posed by the material proved to be the detection and quantification of a significant amount of oligomeric organic material within the sample and most participants relying on a mass balance approach displayed a positive bias relative to the KCRV (overestimation of aldrin content) in excess of 10 mg/g due to not having adequate procedures in place to detect and quantify the non-volatile content–specifically the non-volatile organics content–of the comparison sample.
There was in general excellent agreement between participants in the identification and the quantification of the total and individual related structure impurities, water content and the residual solvent content of the sample.
The comparison demonstrated the utility of 1H NMR as an independent method for quantitative analysis of high purity compounds. In discussion of the participant results it was noted that while several had access to qNMR estimates for the aldrin content that were inconsistent with their mass balance determination they decided to accept the mass balance result and assumed a hidden bias in their NMR data. By contrast, laboratories that placed greater confidence in their qNMR result were able to resolve the discrepancy through additional studies that provided evidence of the presence of non-volatile organic impurity at the requisite level to bring their mass balance and qNMR estimates into agreement.
The demonstration of competency and equivalence for the assessment of levels of contaminants and nutrients in primary foodstuffs is a priority within the 10-year strategy for the OAWG Track A core comparisons. The measurements are core challenges for reference material producers and providers of calibration Services. This key comparison related to low polarity analytes in a high fat, low protein, low carbohydrate food matrix and Benzo[a]pyrene in edible oil was the model System selected to align with this class within the OAWG strategy. Evidence of successful participation in formal, relevant international comparisons is needed to document measurement capability claims (CMCs) made by national metrology institutes (NMIs) and designated institutes (Dis). 16 National Metrology Institutions participated in the Track A Key Comparison CCQM-K146 Low-Polarity Analyte in high fat food: Benzo[a]pyrene in Olive Oil. Participants were requested to evaluate the mass fractions, expressed in µg/kg, of Benzo[a]pyrene in the olive oil material. The KCRV was determined from the results of all NMIs/DIs participating in the key comparison that used appropriately validated methods with demonstrated metrological traceability. Different methods such as liquid-liquid extraction, GPC and SPE were applied in the sample pretreatment and HPLC-FLD, HPLC-MS/MS, and GC-MS or GC-MS/MS were applied for detection by the participants. The mass fractions for BaP were in the range of (1.78 to 3.09) µg/kg with Standard uncertainties of (0.026 to 0.54) µg/kg, with corresponding relative Standard uncertainties from 0.9% to 21%. Five labs withdrew their result from the Statistical evaluation of the KCRV for technical reasons. One lab was excluded from the KCRV evaluation, as they did not meet the CIPM metrological traceability requirements. A Hierarchical Bayes option was selected for the KCRV value, which was determined as 2.74 µg/kg with a Standard uncertainty of 0.03 µg/kg. The 10 institutes those were included in the calculation of the consensus KCRV all agreed within their Standard uncertainties. Successful participation in CCQM-K146 demonstrates the measurement capabilities in determining mass fraction of organic compounds, with molecular mass of 100 g/mol to 500 g/mol, having low polarity pKow < -2, in mass fraction range from 0.1 µg/kg to 1000 µg/kg in a high fat, low protein, low carbohydrate food matrix.