Stated references for ensuring traceability of chemical measurements for long-term environmental monitoring

P. Quevauviller , Olivier François Xavier Donard (1)

1 IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux

Traceability is now considered to be a key concept in chemical and biological measurement sciences. While this concept is increasingly used in many areas, it is still prone to misunderstandings with respect to more 'classical' terms such as e.g. accuracy. Traceability implies that measurement data are linked to stated references through an unbroken chain of comparisons, all with stated uncertainties. What does the word 'stated references' mean when it is applied to complex environmental analysis? This paper discusses how traceability can be conceived in the context of environmental monitoring, in particular the various stated references (documented standards, reference materials, environmental specimens) to which chemical environmental data may be linked to. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Domains: Analytical chemistry

P. Quevauviller, Olivier François Xavier Donard. Stated references for ensuring traceability of chemical measurements for long-term environmental monitoring. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2001, 20 (11), pp.600-613. ⟨10.1016/S0165-9936(01)00116-9⟩. ⟨hal-01590083⟩