Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 5, 2026

Fat-Water Phantoms for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Validation: A Flexible and Scalable Protocol
Published on: September 7, 2018
Water as a source of errors in reference materials
S Rückold1, K H Grobecker, H D Isengard
1European Commission-Joint Research Centre-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Geel, Belgium.
Abstract:
In the field of reference materials, long-term stability is of highest importance. Particularly for biological matrices, any kind of deterioration must be avoided during shelf-life. In the production precautions are taken to prevent these, but possible alterations caused by intensive drying have been underestimated until today. This presentation discusses several mechanisms of deterioration related to water activity and water content. Comparison of the results for water and moisture for six reference materials and their water sorption isotherms serve as a base to discuss the importance of accurate dry mass corrections for certified values. It is shown that the method chosen for dry mass correction influences certified contents significantly and a method description must be given. Furthermore, it is confirmed that for biological matrices optimal ranges of water activity and water content exist, where hygroscopicity is low without significant danger of product deterioration. Additionally, handling is facilitated in the optimised ranges.
Related Concept Videos
Contaminants and Errors
Another key consideration is determining the appropriate number of samples required to...
Errors and Mistakes in Surveying
Systematic Error: Methodological and Sampling Errors
Sampling errors originate from improper sampling methods or the wrong sample population. These errors can be minimized by refining the sampling strategy. Defective instruments or faulty calibrations are the sources of instrumental...
Water: A Bronsted-Lowry Acid and Base
Quality of Water
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision

