Traceability of Chemical Measurement Results

Abstract

Traceability to recognised references, ultimately to the SI units, is an indispensable prerequisite for measurement results to be comparable and trustworthy and hence accepted worldwide. This holds also for chemical measurement results, particularly as these are often used as a basis for important decisions and agreements, for example in health care and environmental protection. The concept of traceability and the special problems associated with its application to chemical analysis as compared to metrology in general are described. Current approaches to establish traceability of chemical measurement results are reported. The most important development in the last two decades was the establishment of the Consultative Committee for Metrology in Chemistry under the Metre Convention, which provided the basis for an international reference framework for chemical measurements. In order to link up laboratory results anywhere in the world with this international reference framework, traceability structures on the national level are required. It is shown, using the demand for traceable chemical measurements in Germany as an example, how such structures can be established and efficiently used.