A PILOT-STUDY FOR THE PREPARATION OF A NEW REFERENCE MATERIAL BASED ON ANTARCTIC KRILL

The preparation of new Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) of antarct ic matrices forms the backbone of an ongoing project in the framework of the Italian National Program for Antarctic Research. The first CRM of this kind (MURST-ISS-A1 Antarctic Marine Sediment) is already avail able. The second phase focuses on the certification of antarctic krill , a small shrimp extremely abundant in the Southern Ocean. The total m ass of krill available for this purpose is approximately 44 kg and res ults from the combination of three different catches (Ross Sea, Margue rite Bay and Livingston Island, respectively). The quantification of t he following elements in the raw mass appears to be affordable by curr ent analytical techniques, values being in the range of (in mu g/g) 0. 11-0.30 for As, 0.03-0.12 for Cd, 0.06-0.23 for Cr, 6.1-21 for Cu, 5.7 -7.6 for Fe, 0.005-0.008 for Hg, 0.7-1.2 for Mn, 0.013-0.077 for Ni, 0 .04-0.57 for Pb and 12-16 for Zn. On the other hand, the average value s ascertained in freeze-dried krill are as a rule one order of magnitu de higher, i.e., (in mu g/g), 3.2 for As, 0.6 for Cd, 1.8 for Cr, 75 f or Cu, 61 for Fe, 0.025 for Hg, 4.6 for Mn, 0.7 for Ni, 2.1 for Pb and 81 for Zn. Information on the pretreatment of krill and details on th e planned certification campaign are also given.