title: The IRMM--International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP). IMEP-3--trace elements in synthetic and natural water.
abstract: The aim of the IRMM--International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP) is to test out a possible realization of international measurement comparability for field laboratories through traceability of their measurements to the SI Unit for amount of substance: the mole. In IMEP-3, 10 different trace elements, B, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Pb, Rb, and Zn, were determined in a synthetic and a natural water by participating laboratories using their routine methods and graphically compared (in coded form) to certified values, established by IRMM and NIST using an isotope-specific method (Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Neutron Activation Analysis). The number of participants was 70; 64 laboratories have reported results. The results show a spread of more than 50% asymmetrically around the certified value. The Youden graphs allow evaluation of the overall performance of the laboratories in the IMEP-3 round.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamberty
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapitajs
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Nevel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Götz
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Bievre
mesh_terms: D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D012015:Reference Standards; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014867:Water