International Activities in Metrology in Chemistry

Abstract

In today's economy goods and information are being exchanged globally, international travel is commonplace as is the cross-boarder transport of livestock and agricultural products, and this trend is set to continue. Just as important are issues that impinge on our quality of life, such as health care, the environment and food quality. A strong international measurement and standards infrastructure is critical to assure equity in trade and a high quality of life, by ensuring that products and services meet their specifications. In the field of chemical measurements, certified reference materials (CRMs), measurement standards and reference measurement results provide stated references upon which analytical laboratories can anchor their measurement results. The traceability of measurement results to internationally accepted stated references, together with their stated measurement uncertainties, as described in ISO/IEC 17025, provides the basis for their comparability and global acceptance. Recent global activities which are succeeding in developing a system for the international acceptance of chemical measurements are described, notably: activities of the National Metrology Institutes and the BIPM; the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee of Weights and Measures (CIPM MRA) for National Calibration Certificates and Measurement Capabilities; the Inter-Laboratory Comparisons organised through the working groups of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance – Metrology in Chemistry (CCQM), and the activities of the Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM).