Building Better Standards for Metal Analysis in Seafood: Ensuring Stability and Preventing Interferences

Accurate elemental analysis of food samples presents unique challenges, particularly due to the high matrix complexity and the risk of contamination during sample preparation. As laboratories onboard new sample types, method development plays a critical role in ensuring reliable results. A key component of this process is the proper selection and handling of calibration standards. This presentation will first address strategies to ensure that working standards remain stable and compatible with complex matrices, a challenge often faced with volatile elements like mercury. We will then explore common sources of contamination when preparing working standards from concentrated stock certified reference materials. Finally, we will examine methods for constructing standards that minimize interferences within the solution, as unresolved inter-standard interferences can lead to false low results and unnecessary re-analysis. By ensuring that standards are properly designed and prepared, analysts can enhance method accuracy and gain confidence in the reliability of their results.