Bovine reference materials for accuracy control of blood lead analysis

Summary There is a lack of suitable commercially available reference materials for controlling the accuracy of determinations of trace elements in body fluids. This is a particular problem with blood lead measurements where results on individual patients or findings of population surveys may have major clinical, environmental or economic implications.Bovine blood haemolysate surrogate reference materials for internal accuracy control of blood lead measurements have been used systematically over the past decade by the SAS Trace Elements Sub-group in Britain. They have also been used by participating laboratories in the European Community Screening Programme for blood lead in an effort to harmonise the data.The seven SAS laboratories have collaborated in assigning values for blood lead concentration to three specially prepared batches of bovine reference materials between 1984 and 1987. The results show that it is possible for a small group of specialist laboratories to accurately and reproducibly assign values for reference materials in this way, so as to be suitable for use in internal accuracy control. Moreover, it has been possible to demonstrate the stability of the materials over a two-year period. This procedure offers a useful model for improving the accuracy of other assays of clinical interest.

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Rinder-Referenzmaterialien zur Richtigkeitskontrolle von Bleianalysen in Blut

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Presented on behalf of the Trace Elements Sub-group of the Supraregional Assay Service (SAS) of the U.K. National Health Service