Preparation and analysis of a marine sediment reference material for the determination of trace organic constituents

Summary A new marine sediment Standard Reference Material (SRM) has been prepared and analyzed for the determination of trace organic constituents. SRM 1941, Organics in Marine Sediment, has been certified for concentrations of 11 PAHs using results obtained from gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Non-certified values for 24 additional PAHs are also reported. GC with electron capture detection was used to provide non-certified concentrations for 15 PCB congeners and 7 chlorinated pesticides. In addition to the organic contaminants, concentrations of 32 major and trace elements were determined using neutron activation analysis, and the sulfur content was also determined using isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry.