Preparation and Certification of Biogeochemical Reference Materials

The Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration in China recently prepared ten biogeochemical certified reference samples GSB1-10 (CRMs). The samples are primary agricultural products such as rice, wheat, corn, soybean, cabbage, spinach, tea, powder, chicken and apple. Lyophilisation technology and a high-alumina ball mill were used to process the samples. Fourteen laboratories and hundreds analysts in China participated in the certification analysis. Over ten reliable analytical methods, predominately ICP-MS, ICP-AES and INAA, were used for analysing the samples for fifty-nine elements. A total of 22477 determinations led to 5136 average data sets. Certified values of fifty-four elements were assigned.