THE ANIMAL MUSCLE AS CRM FOR TRACE-ELEMEN TS QUALITY-CONTROL FOR IN SEA-WATER MONITORIZATION

Analyses of fish tissues are routinely carried out by a number of labo ratories to monitor the levels of contamination of the marine environm ent and food by toxic elements, e.g. by heavy metals. To improve and c ontrol the quality of such determinations, the Community Bureau of Ref erence (BCR) has organised a certification campaign which enables us t o produce a reference material (cod muscle CRM 422) certified for its contents of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn. This material wa s collected in the southern part of the North sea, carefully prepared (filleted and crushed under liquid nitrogen) and its homogeneity adn l ong term stability were verified. This paper presents the certificatio n work performed.