CCQM Activities in the Organic Analysis Working Group

NIST's Analytical Chemistry Division has participated in over 50 Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry (CCQM) Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) studies since 1997 and coordinated a number of studies during the past two years. The CCQM conducts international comparisons to establish equivalence among measurements made by national metrology institutes (NMIs). OAWG studies during the past two years included measurement of vitamins in infant/adult nutritional formula, hormones in human serum, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and particulate matter, purity assessments of theophylline and digoxin, anabolic steroids in urine, and flame retardants in plastics.

The results from these studies will be used to benchmark the appropriate Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs) of the participating NMIs. CMCs that are common among the NMIs and propose appropriate studies are identified. NIST CMCs are then benchmarked based on carefully designed and executed studies using the methods normally used for those analyses.

The technical approaches used for the OAWG studies are the same as those used for the CMCs. In this way, the CMCs can be benchmarked through the CCQM studies. During the past three years, NIST was the coordinating laboratory for two key comparison studies: CCQM-K62 Nutrients in Infant/Adult Formula – Vitamins and CCQM-K63.a,b Non-Peptide Hormones in Serum: Cortisol and Progesterone, and provided samples as well as homogeneity testing for the particulate matter sample used for CCQM-K50 PAHs in Soil and Air Particulate.

Major Accomplishments:

• CCQM-K62 Nutrients in Infant/Adult Formula – Vitamins
• CCQM-K63.a,b Non-Peptide Hormones in Serum: Cortisol and Progesterone
• CCQM-K80 Creatinine in Serum
• CCQM-P20e Purity Assessment (theophylline)
• CCQM-P20f Purity Assessment (digoxin)
• CCQM-P68 Anabolic Steroids in Urine
• CCQM-K50 PAHs in Soil and Particulate Matter study
• CCQM-P114 Flame Retardants in Plastics
• CCQM-K55a 17β-Estradiol Purity