This report describes the production of ERM®-CE102, which is a fish tissue certified for the mass fraction of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on a wet weight basis. This material was produced following ISO 17034:2016 and is certified in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2017.
The Certified Reference Material is a fish tissue homogenate prepared from wild Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) originating from the Flix reservoir of the Ebro river (Spain) and aquaculture rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) sourced in Belgium. The fish fillets were cut, shock-frozen in liquid nitrogen and cryogenically milled. After a pre-cooking step, a step-wise mixing and homogenisation were carried out. The resulting material was filled into jars, autoclaved for sterilisation and labelled as ERM-CE102.
Between unit-homogeneity was quantified and stability during dispatch and storage were assessed in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2017 [2]. Within-unit homogeneity was quantified to determine the minimum sample intake.
The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025. Technically invalid results were removed but no outlier was eliminated on statistical grounds only.
Uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation.
The material is intended for the quality control and assessment of method performance. As with any reference material, it can be used for establishing control charts or in validation studies. ERM-CE102 is available in glass jars with twist-off lids containing at least 40 g of fish paste. The minimum amount of sample to be used is 8 g.JRC.F.6-Reference Material
