How Do We Prepare For Environmental Measurements Beyond ‘EUROPE 1993’?

Abstract

Chemical measurements play a rapidly increasing role in modern society and more and more form the basis of important decisions and regulations (legal, medical, environmental, etc.). Therefore, their reliability is of the utmost importance. Environmental measurements are becoming a particular case in point with the public's and governments' growing awareness about the environment. These measurements will also have to be comparable across borders. Chemists must worry more about this reliability in order not to lose credibility and not to generate a loss of faith in chemistry.

In order to achieve both credibility and comparability, the fulfilment of the following requirements seems to be needed:

1. express all results of (environmental) measurements in the SI unit for amount of substance, the mole;

2. ensure their traceability to the mole, our SI unit for amount of substance;

3. assess their real performance through regular participation in external (border-crossing) quality assessment programmes using undisclosed, real-life samples.

Examples of highly unsatisfactory measurement performances will be discussed as well as ways which may contribute to improve the situation.

The need for an ethical approach by (environmental) scientists will be briefly highlighted.

Key Words:

• Comparability
• traceability
• SI units
• mole
• quality assessment