CRM Mercury (Hg) - Aqueous calibration solution ASTASOL® AN90241N

Significance of Aqueous Mercury Calibration Solutions

This certified reference material (CRM) provides a reliable standard for accurate mercury quantification, crucial for environmental monitoring, industrial quality control, and toxicological assessments. Consistent calibration ensures comparability of analytical data and adherence to regulatory requirements.

Study Overview and Objectives

ASTASOL® AN90241N is an aqueous CRM containing mercury at a nominal concentration of 1000 mg/L. It is designed to support calibration and validation of analytical methods, ensuring SI traceability, defined uncertainty, and long-term stability.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Gravimetric preparation of Hg (99.999%) in 5% HNO₃ matrix, ensuring direct traceability to the kilogram.
• Density measurement at 20 °C (1.0262 ± 0.0005 g/cm³) for conversion between mass concentration and fraction.
• Complexometric titration using SRM NIST 928 to verify certified value and uncertainty.
• Trace impurity profiling by AAS, ICP-OES, and ICP-MS to document potential interferences.

Main Results and Discussion

• Certified Hg concentration: 1000 ± 2 mg/L (expanded uncertainty, k=2) corresponding to 974 ± 3 mg/kg.
• Trace elements are generally below detection limits; Zn at 1 mg/L is the highest measured impurity.
• Homogeneity and stability tests confirm performance over a three-year shelf life under recommended storage (5–30 °C).

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enables reliable calibration of atomic spectrometry (AAS, AES, ICP-OES, ICP-MS) and selected electroanalytical methods.
• Supports method validation, routine QA/QC, and inter-laboratory comparisons.
• Provides documented uncertainty and traceability for regulatory compliance.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Emerging miniaturized instruments and field-deployable sensors will benefit from portable, low-uncertainty CRMs. Further advancements may include dynamic CRM kits for on-site calibration and integration with digital quality management systems.

Conclusion

ASTASOL® AN90241N offers a high-purity, SI-traceable mercury calibration solution with well-characterized uncertainty and long-term stability, ensuring accurate and reproducible analytical results across diverse applications.

Used Instrumentation

• Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)
• Atomic Emission Spectrometry (AES)
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES)
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

References

• ISO Guide 31 – Reference Materials: Contents of Certificates and Labels
• ČSN EN ISO 17034:2017 – General Requirements for the Competence of Reference Material Producers
• SRM NIST 928 – Standard Reference Material for Complexometric Titration