The 1993–1995 QUASIMEME laboratory performance study: Trace metals in sediment and biota

The EU project QUASIMEME (Quality Assurance of Information in Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe) was implemented in 1993 to improve chemical measurements made in marine environmental laboratories in Europe. The metals section of the QUASIMEME laboratory performance study is reviewed. The laboratory performance studies programme consisted of 5 rounds. Approximately 60 laboratories participated in the metals section. Reference samples (marine sediment, standard solutions, biota) were analysed for aluminium, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, zinc, total organic carbon, arsenic, nickel and cadmium. Individual data were evaluated using a Z- and P-scoring system. The determinand concentration in sediment samples varied by a factor of up to 400 for some parameters. Mercury, cadmium and copper levels were particularly variable. The quality of analyses of metals in sediments improved during the project. The analysis of metals in sediments produced better results than that in biota.