title: Results of a Saxitoxin Proficiency Test Including Characterization of Reference Material and Stability Studies.
abstract: A saxitoxin (STX) proficiency test (PT) was organized as part of the Establishment of Quality Assurance for the Detection of Biological Toxins of Potential Bioterrorism Risk (EQuATox) project. The aim of this PT was to provide an evaluation of existing methods and the European laboratories' capabilities for the analysis of STX and some of its analogues in real samples. Homogenized mussel material and algal cell materials containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were produced as reference sample matrices. The reference material was characterized using various analytical methods. Acidified algal extract samples at two concentration levels were prepared from a bulk culture of PSP toxins producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii. The homogeneity and stability of the prepared PT samples were studied and found to be fit-for-purpose. Thereafter, eight STX PT samples were sent to ten participating laboratories from eight countries. The PT offered the participating laboratories the possibility to assess their performance regarding the qualitative and quantitative detection of PSP toxins. Various techniques such as official Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, immunoassays, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for sample analyses.
authors.affiliation: VERIFIN (Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention),Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, A. I. Virtasen aukio 1, University of Helsinki,FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. kirsi.harju@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harju
authors.affiliation: VERIFIN (Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention),Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, A. I. Virtasen aukio 1, University of Helsinki,FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. marja-leena.rapinoja@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Marja-Leena
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rapinoja
authors.affiliation: Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, SPIEZ LABORATORY, Austrasse 1,CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland. marc-andre.avondet@babs.admin.ch.
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Avondet
authors.affiliation: Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, SPIEZ LABORATORY, Austrasse 1,CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland. werner.arnold@babs.admin.ch.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, SPIEZ LABORATORY, Austrasse 1,CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland. martin.schaer@babs.admin.ch.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schär
authors.affiliation: ChemStat, Aarstrasse 98, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland. info@chemstat.ch.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luginbühl
authors.affiliation: Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Erik Palménin aukio 1,FI-00560 Helsinki, Finland. anke.kremp@ymparisto.fi.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kremp
authors.affiliation: Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Erik Palménin aukio 1,FI-00560 Helsinki, Finland. sanna.suikkanen@ymparisto.fi.
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suikkanen
authors.affiliation: Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Hakuninmaantie 6, FI-00430 Helsinki, Finland. harri.kankaanpaa@ymparisto.fi.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kankaanpää
authors.affiliation: Marine Institute, Marine Environment and Food Safety Services, Rinville, Oranmore,County Galway, Ireland. stephen.burrell@marine.ie.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burrell
authors.affiliation: VERIFIN (Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention),Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, A. I. Virtasen aukio 1, University of Helsinki,FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. martin.soderstrom@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.affiliation: VERIFIN (Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention),Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, A. I. Virtasen aukio 1, University of Helsinki,FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. paula.vanninen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanninen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004141:Dinoflagellida; D059021:Laboratory Proficiency Testing / Q000592:standards; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D049878:Mytilus; D012015:Reference Standards; D057096:Shellfish Poisoning; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins
keywords: dinoflagellate; mussel; paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins; proficiency test; saxitoxin