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

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 The hepatopancreas, digestive gland or midgut gland is an organ of the digestive tract of arthropods and molluscs. It provides the functions which in mammals are provided separately by the liver and pancreas, including the production of digestive ...

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 Marine sediment, or ocean sediment, or seafloor sediment, are deposits of insoluble particles that have accumulated on the seafloor. These particles have their origins in soil and rocks and have been transported from the land to the sea, mainly ...

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 Arsenobetaine is an organoarsenic compound that is the main source of arsenic found in fish. It is the arsenic analog of trimethylglycine, commonly known as betaine. The biochemistry and its biosynthesis are similar to those of choline and betaine ...

. 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 Methylmercury (sometimes methyl mercury) is an organometallic cation with the formula . It is the simplest organomercury compound. Methylmercury is extremely toxic, and its derivatives are the major source of organic mercury for humans. It is a ...

(TORT-3), dibutyltin, and tributyltin (PACS-3). * Biological tissues and sediments ** CARP, fish for dioxins, furans, and PCBs ** DOLT, dogfish liver for

** DORM, fish protein for

** TORT, lobster hepatopancreas for methylmercury and

** PACS and SOPH, marine sediment for dibutyltin and tributyltin ** SELM, selenium-enriched yeast for

methionine Methionine (symbol Met or M) () is an essential amino acid in humans. As the precursor of other amino acids such as cysteine and taurine, versatile compounds such as SAM-e, and the important antioxidant glutathione, methionine plays a critical ro ...

and selenomethionine

Biotoxin CRMs

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 Saxitoxin (STX) is a potent neurotoxin and the best-known paralytic shellfish toxin (PST). Ingestion of saxitoxin by humans, usually by consumption of shellfish contaminated by toxic algal blooms, is responsible for the illness known as paralytic ...

standards * Cyanobacterial toxins ** ATX, anatoxin-a standard ** CYN,

cylindrospermopsin Cylindrospermopsin (abbreviated to CYN, or CYL) is a cyanotoxin produced by a variety of freshwater cyanobacteria. CYN is a polycyclic uracil derivative containing guanidino and sulfate groups. It is also zwitterionic, making it highly water ...

standard

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/advisory/crm_index.html
Canadian Reference Materials and Methods (National Science Library, Digital Repository)
Analytical chemistry Measurement Standards of Canada Biochemistry

Inorganic CRMs

Organic CRMs

Biotoxin CRMs

See also

References

External links