Origin and preparation of the material
A sample of sediment from Kilbrannan Sound, in the river Clyde’s estuary, Scotland was collected in 2005. This sample was dried, ground, and sieved. The powder was homogenized and aliquots of about 45 g were packed into glass bottles to produce the IAEA-159 reference material. More details about the preparation of this reference material are provided in reference [INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, World-wide and regional intercomparison for the determination of organochlorine compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons and sterols in sediment sample IAEA-159, IAEA/AL/180, IAEA, Vienna (2007). New homogeneity and characterization studies were performed on the IAEA-159 material to become IAEA-159A.
This certified reference material is intended to be used as a quality control material for the assessment of a laboratory’s analytical work, for the development and validation of analytical procedures, and for quality assurance within a laboratory in the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediment samples with very low concentration levels.
Certified mass fraction values
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(Based on dry mass)
| Analyte | Unit | Certified valuea | Expanded uncertainty |
| Naphthalene | µg kg-1 | 29.8 | 7.5 |
| 2-Methyl-Naphthalene | µg kg-1 | 39 | 11 |
| 1-Methyl-Naphthalene | µg kg-1 | 26.3 | 8.4 |
| Acenaphthylene | µg kg-1 | 3.8 | 1.0 |
| Acenaphthene | µg kg-1 | 4.2 | 1.0 |
| Fluorene | µg kg-1 | 7.9 | 1.6 |
| Phenanthrene | µg kg-1 | 74.4 | 14.1 |
| Anthracene | µg kg-1 | 12.1 | 2.6 |
| 1-Methyl-Phenanthrene | µg kg-1 | 19.2 | 4.6 |
| 2-Methyl-Phenanthrene | µg kg-1 | 27.5 | 7.7 |
| Fluoranthene | µg kg-1 | 111 | 19 |
| Pyrene | µg kg-1 | 94 | 16 |
| Benz[a]Anthracene | µg kg-1 | 54.7 | 9.9 |
| Chrysene (+ Triphenylene) | µg kg-1 | 65 | 13 |
| Benzo[b+j]Fluoranthene | µg kg-1 | 139 | 33 |
| Benzo[k]Fluoranthene | µg kg-1 | 56 | 11 |
| Indeno[1,2,3-c,d]Pyrene | µg kg-1 | 124 | 27 |
| Dibenzo[a,h]Anthracene | µg kg-1 | 27.9 | 5.6 |
| Benzo[g,h,i]Perylene | µg kg-1 | 110 | 22 |
| Perylene | µg kg-1 | 27.6 | 5.6 |
Certified mass fraction values
PCB congeners
(Based on dry mass)
| Analyte | Unit | Certified valuea | Expanded uncertainty |
| PCB 28 | µg kg-1 | 0.47 | 0.16 |
| PCB 52 | µg kg-1 | 0.53 | 0.10 |
| PCB 101 | µg kg-1 | 0.48 | 0.09 |
| PCB 105 | µg kg-1 | 0.20 | 0.04 |
| PCB 110 | µg kg-1 | 0.39 | 0.07 |
| PCB 118 | µg kg-1 | 0.48 | 0.09 |
| PCB 138 | µg kg-1 | 0.56 | 0.10 |
| PCB 149 | µg kg-1 | 0.35 | 0.07 |
| PCB 153 | µg kg-1 | 0.62 | 0.12 |
| PCB 170 | µg kg-1 | 0.13 | 0.03 |
| PCB 180 | µg kg-1 | 0.24 | 0.05 |
| PCB 187 | µg kg-1 | 0.21 | 0.04 |
Certified mass fraction values
Chlorinated pesticides
(Based on dry mass)
| Analyte | Unit | Certified valuea | Expanded uncertainty |
| HCB | µg kg-1 | 0.11 | 0.04 |
| γ-HCH- Lindane | µg kg-1 | 0.08 | 0.02 |
| pp’-DDD | µg kg-1 | 1.08 | 0.25 |
| pp’-DDE | µg kg-1 | 0.72 | 0.13 |
| op'-DDD | µg kg-1 | 0.44 | 0.13 |
| Dieldrin | µg kg-1 | 0.36 | 0.10 |
Certified mass fraction values
PBDE congeners
(Based on dry mass)
| Analyte | Unit | Certified valuea | Expanded uncertainty |
| BDE 28 | µg kg-1 | 0.16 | 0.04 |
| BDE 47 | µg kg-1 | 2.13 | 0.42 |
| BDE 66 | µg kg-1 | 0.14 | 0.03 |
| BDE 99 | µg kg-1 | 5.4 | 1.2 |
| BDE 100 | µg kg-1 | 0.56 | 0.17 |
| BDE 153 | µg kg-1 | 1.04 | 0.28 |
| BDE 154 | µg kg-1 | 0.38 | 0.08 |
| BDE 183 | µg kg-1 | 0.07 | 0.02 |
| BDE 209 | µg kg-1 | 9.2 | 3.1 |
(a) Certified values are calculated from the accepted data sets, each set being obtained by a different laboratory and/or a different method of determination following ISO 33405 [1].
(b) The uncertainty is expressed as an expanded uncertainty with a coverage factor k = 2 estimated in accordance with the JCGM 100:2008 [2] and ISO 33405 [1].
The values listed above were established on the basis of statistically valid results submitted by laboratories to the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Monaco. The details concerning all reported results as well as the criteria for qualification as certified or information value can be found in the respective report (attached).
References
[1] INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION, Reference materials — Approaches for characterization and assessment of homogeneity and stability, ISO 33405:2024, ISO, Geneva (2024).
[2] JOINT COMMITTEE FOR GUIDES IN METROLOGY (JCGM), Evaluation of Measurement data - Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, JCGM 100:2008 (GUM 1995 with minor corrections), (2008). http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcgm/JCGM_100_2008_E.pdf.
