Certified reference material for the quality control of EDTA- and DTPA-extractable trace metal contents in calcareous soil (CRM 600)

Single extraction tests are commonly used to study the eco-toxicity and mobility of metals in soils, e.g. to assess the bioavailable metal fraction (and thus to estimate the related phyto-toxic and nutritional deficiency effects) and the environmentally accessible trace metals upon disposal of e.g. sediment on to a soil (e.g. contamination of ground waters). However, the lack of uniformity in the different procedures does not allow the results to be compared worldwide nor the procedures to be validated. This paper describes the interlaboratory testing of EDTA- and DTPA-extraction procedures for soil analysis, followed by the preparation of a calcareous soil reference material (CRM 600), the homogeneity and stability studies and the analytical work performed for the certification of the EDTA- and DTPA-extractable contents of some trace metals (following the standardized extraction procedures).