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.

Inorganic CRMs

Since 2011, the reference material for the isotopic composition of natural mercury, NIMS-1, is basis for the standard atomic weight of mercury

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
  • Supplements and natural health products CACB, calcium carbonate for lead and cadmium FEBS, otolith for trace metals SELM, selenium-enriched yeast for selenium

Organic CRMs

In 1977, Edmonds et al. reported the identification, isolation, and synthesis of major arsenic-containing substance in sea organisms, the arsenobetaine. 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. Besides arsenobetaine, NRC currently offers matrix reference materials certified for methylmercury (TORT-3), dibutyltin, and tributyltin (PACS-3).

Biotoxin CRMs

NRC's domoic acid standard was the first biotoxin reference material in the world

In 1987 Canada witnessed a crisis in the seafood industry. Shellfish toxins present in PEI mussels caused amnesic shellfish poisoning taking several lives. 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.

  • Amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins ASP-Mus-d, mussel tissue for domoic acid and its isomers DA-f, domoic acid standard
  • Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning and other lipophilic toxins AZA, azaspiracid standards DSP-Mus, mussel tissue for okadaic acid OA, okadaic acid standard DTX, dinophysistoxin standards GYM, gymnodimine standards YTX and hYTX, yessotoxin standards PTX, pectenotoxin-2 standard SPX, 13-desmethyl spirolide C standard
  • Microcystins dmMCLR and MCLR, microcystin-LR standards MCRR, microcystin-RR standard NODR, nodularin-R standard
  • Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins C1&2, N-sulfocarbamoyl-gonyautoxin standard dcGTX and GTX, decarbamoyl-gonyautoxin and gonyautoxin standards dcNEO and NEO, decarbamoyl-neosaxitoxin and neosaxitoxin standards dcSTX and STX, decarbamoyl-saxitoxin and saxitoxin standards
  • Cyanobacterial toxins ATX, anatoxin-a standard CYN, cylindrospermopsin standard

See also

External links