The European Union Reference Laboratory for PAHs (EU-RL PAHs) will organise in
the second half of 2010 an inter-laboratory comparison for the validation of
an analytical method (MVS) to determine the 4 target PAHs, according with the
decision of the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH),
benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and chrysene in
various foodstuffs.
The method is based on pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) (Soxhlet will be
considered an equivalent alternative), a first purification step by size
exclusion chromatography (SEC), and a final purification by solid phase
extraction (SPE). The detection / quantitation is made by gas-chromatography
coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Design of the study
The MVS will be conducted and evaluated according to ISO 5725-2:1994.
The participants to the study will be asked to analyse a total of about 20
samples, including edible oil, meat, fish, mussel tissue, cereals, and infant
formula.
The concentration levels will be between 0,5 and 20 µg/kg.
Dispatch will be pre-announced at least two week in advance and is foreseen
for the second half of September.
The participants will have 6 weeks from dispatch date to report back the
results.
The MVS will be open to all interested laboratories, e.g. NRLs, official food
control laboratories, private food control laboratories, academia, and
laboratories from industry.
If you are interested in participating to this MVS, please contact:
Donata Lerda
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM)
EU-RL Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Retieseweg 111
B-2440 Geel, Belgium
Tel.: +32-14-571 826
Fax: +32-14-571 783
E-mail: