Using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for calibration transfer between environmental CRMs.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Geochemistry

Background:

• Accurate elemental analysis of environmental samples is crucial for monitoring and research.
• Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) are essential for calibrating analytical instruments.
• Existing calibration methods may have limitations in achieving low measurement uncertainties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a high-performance methodology for multielement analysis of environmental reference materials.
• To establish a robust calibration transfer technique using CRMs.
• To propose novel applications for this calibration transfer method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for multielement analysis.
• Employed existing CRMs as calibration standards for the ICP-MS method.
• Implemented a high-performance analytical methodology to minimize comparison measurement uncertainties.

Main Results:

• Achieved comparison measurement uncertainties significantly lower than the certified values of the calibration CRMs.
• Determined values exhibited uncertainties nearly equivalent to those of the calibration CRMs.
• Successfully analyzed various environmental reference materials, including river sediment and coal samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology offers a reliable and accurate approach for calibrating environmental reference materials.
• This calibration transfer technique enables precise re-certification of CRMs and establishes traceability between different CRMs.
• The method is effective for demonstrating the equivalence of CRMs, enhancing data comparability in environmental studies.