Canadian Reference Materials (CRM) are
certified reference materials of high-quality and reliability produced by the National Metrology Institute of Canada – the
National Research Council Canada. The NRC Certified Reference Materials program is operated by the Measurement Science and Standards portfolio and provides CRMs for environmental, biotoxin, food, nutritional supplement, and stable isotope analysis. The program was established in 1976 to produce CRMs for inorganic and organic marine environmental analysis and remains internationally recognized producer of CRMs.[1]
Inorganic CRMs
NRC produces certified reference materials of biological tissues, isotopic standards, natural waters, sediments, supplements, and natural health products. With the exception of the ORMS, the river water CRM with elevated mercury, all materials contain natural levels of analytes in their native matrix.
Biological tissues
DOLT, dogfish liver for trace metals
DORM, fish protein for trace metals
LUTS, non-defatted lobster
hepatopancreas for trace metals
TORT, lobster hepatopancreas for trace metals
Isotopic materials
NIMS, natural inorganic mercury standard
EMMS, isotopic methylmercury standard
Natural waters
CASS, near-shore seawater for trace metals
MOOS, seawater for nutrients
NASS, seawater for trace metals
ORMS, river water for mercury
SLEW, estuarine water for trace metals
SLRS, river water for trace metals
Sediments
HISS and MESS,
marine sediment for trace metals and major constituents
PACS and SOPH, marine sediment for trace metals and major constituents
In 1977, Edmonds et al. reported the identification, isolation, and synthesis of major arsenic-containing substance in sea organisms, the
arsenobetaine.[3] In 1999, NRC certified arsenobetaine in the dogfish muscle material DORM-2, which became the first matrix reference material certified for arsenobetaine. Before DORM-2, DORM-1 (issued in 1986) served as the reference material for which the concentration of arsenobetaine was widely reported in scientific literature.[4] Besides arsenobetaine, NRC currently offers matrix reference materials certified for
methylmercury (TORT-3), dibutyltin, and
tributyltin (PACS-3).
In 1987 Canada witnessed a crisis in the seafood industry. Shellfish toxins present in PEI mussels caused
amnesic shellfish poisoning taking several lives.[5] In response, shellfish toxin research was initiated at NRC Canada. Today, NRC remains the premier producer of biotoxin CRMs in the world and is recognized for its expertise.[6]
Amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins
ASP-Mus-d, mussel tissue for
domoic acid and its isomers
^Scott N. Willie (2001). "What's new with the NRC certified reference material program". Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry. 370 (2–3): 131–133.
doi:
10.1007/s002160100747.
PMID11451223.
S2CID34966114.
^John S. Edmonds; Kevin A. Francesconi; Jack R. Cannon;
Colin L. Raston; Brian W. Skelton; Allan H. White (1977). "Isolation, crystal structure and synthesis of arsenobetaine, the arsenical constituent of the western rock lobster panulirus longipes Cygnus Roger". Tetrahedron Letters. 18 (18): 1543–1546.
doi:
10.1016/S0040-4039(01)93098-9.
^Walter Goessler; Doris Kuehnelt; Claudia Schlagenhaufen; Zdenka Slejkovec; Kurt J. Irgolic (1998). "Arsenobetaine and other arsenic compounds in the National Research Council of Canada Certified Reference Materials DORM 1 and DORM 2". Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 13 (3): 183–187.
doi:
10.1039/A705634F.
^Wright, Jeffrey L.C. (1994). "Chapter 13: Toxic-Shellfish Crisis: 1987 and Beyond". In Lamson, Cynthia (ed.). The Sea Has Many Voices: Oceans Policy for a Complex World. McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 247–262.
ISBN978-0-7735-1112-5.