Trace metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Al, Li, Fe, Mn, Ni, Co) in marine suspended particulate matter: an international ICES intercomparison exercise

The aim of this intercomparison exercise was to assess the comparability of trace metal analyses of blank filters and of marine suspended particulate matter (SPM) on filters performed by laboratories in ICES member countries, Fifteen experts from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway. Poland, Russia-and the United States were invited to participate in this exercise for trace metal analyses of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Al, Li. Fel Mn, Ni and Co (tentative) in SPM. Each filter analysed in this project was an individual sample, the absolute loadings on the filters varying from 0.8 to 2 mg of SPM. The inter-laboratory means and the relative standard deviations (RSD) from the grand mean for the metals determined were: Al 67.5 mg/g, 8.3% FP 51.7 mg/g, 10.9%, Cd 1.5 mu g/g, 22.7%, Cu 39 mu g/g, 13.3%, Pb 38 mu g/g, 34.7%, Mn 1060 mu g/g, 13%, Ni 49.2 mu g/g, 29%, Zn 182 mu g/g, 32.5%. Li 52.8 mu g/g, 26.1%, Co 15.4 mu g/g, 23.6%. In general, the exercise demonstrated that it is possible for the various participants to collect very small amounts of SPM and analyse it by the different determination techniques. Compared to earlier exercises, comparability between laboratories was still difficult to achieve and limited.