Accuracy in Analysis: The Role of Standard Reference Materials

Abstract

Probably it is the last of these questions that brings the greatest difficulty and the most soul searching to the analyst. If this were not the case, why are there so many cars in chemistry building parking lots on weekends and holidays? Why are analysts often reluctant to report results without "just one more retest"? This paper will attempt to pick apart some of these questions. While it may answer none of them conclusively, it is aimed at demonstrating the role of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) in the analyst's pursuit of accuracy. In the case of trace analysis near the detection limit of state-of-the-art methods, certifiers of reference materials face a very special problem: certified error limits often seem unacceptably high when considered on a relative basis. This paper will include a brief discussion of this problem.