INTERLABORATORY STUDY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF TRACE-ELEMENT DETERMINATIONS IN GROUNDWATER

In order to control the quality of trace element determinations in gro undwater, the Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (formerly BCR) of the European Commission has started a project of which the fin al aim is to certify groundwater reference materials for their content s of a range of trace elements (Al, As, Pr, Cd, Cu, I, Ni and Ph). The first part of this project consisted of an interlaboratory study whic h aimed to test the feasibility of preparation of candidate groundwate r reference materials and to detect and remove most of the pitfalls ob served in trace element determinations, This paper presents the main r esults of this interlaboratory study carried out prior to the certific ation campaign of a series of reference materials.