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Measurement of PAHs in environmental matrices: results from an interlaboratory comparison on the different steps of the measurement procedure

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Abstract

Proficiency testing (PT) is becoming a feature of laboratory accreditation and the PT results are used to assess the technical competence of the participating laboratories. ISPRA (former APAT) plays an important role in supporting the Italian laboratories belonging to the network of the Regional Environmental Agencies to improve the quality of their analytical measurements. As a consequence, ISPRA organized an interlaboratory comparison to assess the performance of the laboratories on PAH measurement procedure. The interlaboratory comparison was drawn separating the different steps of the measurement (from the extraction to the instrumental measurement). Two matrix reference materials: (1) a polluted soil and (2) an extract reference material of the same polluted soil and a “blind” PAH mixture standard stock solution were distributed to 59 Italian laboratories. The results of interlaboratory comparison showed a significant dispersion of the PAH measurements that masks the effects of the different extraction and cleanup procedures used, but it is consistent with the results of other European interlaboratory comparisons.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e per la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Servizio Metrologia Ambientale, Rome, Italy

    Stefania Balzamo, Paolo de Zorzi, Sabrina Barbizzi, Elisa Calabretta, Monica Potalivo & Silvia Rosamilia

Authors
  1. Stefania Balzamo
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  2. Paolo de Zorzi
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  3. Sabrina Barbizzi
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  4. Elisa Calabretta
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  5. Monica Potalivo
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  6. Silvia Rosamilia
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Correspondence to Stefania Balzamo.

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Balzamo, S., de Zorzi, P., Barbizzi, S. et al. Measurement of PAHs in environmental matrices: results from an interlaboratory comparison on the different steps of the measurement procedure. Accred Qual Assur 14, 487–495 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-009-0576-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-009-0576-x

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