Interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICI) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUAS) for cadmium in urine and blood: Results from the HBM4EU project

Nübler S, Esteban Lopez M, Castano A, Mol H, Schäfer M, Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi K, Bury D, Koch HM, Vaccher V, Antignac JP, Dvorakova D, Hajslova J, Thomsen C, Vorkamp K, Göen T (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health Elsevier

Book Volume: 234

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113711

Abstract

Human biomonitoring (HBM) of cadmium is essential to assess and prevent toxic exposure. Generally, low cadmium levels in urine and blood of the general population place particularly high demands on quality assurance and control measures (QA/QC) for cadmium determination. One of the aims of the HBM4EU project is to harmonize and advance HBM in Europe. Cadmium is one of the chemicals selected as a priority substance for HBM implementation in the 30 European countries under HBM4EU. For this purpose, analytical comparability and accuracy of the analytical laboratories of participating countries was investigated in a QA/QC programme comprising interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICI) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUAS). This paper presents the evaluation process and discusses the results of four ICI/EQUAS rounds for the determination of cadmium in urine and blood. The majority of the 43 participating laboratories achieved satisfactory results, although low limits of quantification were required to quantify Cd concentrations at general population exposure levels. The relative standard deviation of the participants? results obtained from all ICI and EQUAS runs ranged from 8 to 36% for cadmium in urine and 8?28% for cadmium in blood. Applying inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), using an internal standard, and eliminating molybdenum oxide interferences was favourable for the accurate determination of cadmium in urine and blood. Furthermore, the analysis of cadmium in urine was found to have a critical point at approximately 0.05 ?g/l, below which variability increased and laboratory proficiency decreased. This QA/QC programme succeeded in establishing a network of laboratories with high analytical comparability and accuracy for the analysis of cadmium across 20 European countries.

Authors with CRIS profile

Stefanie Nübler Lehrstuhl für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin Moritz Schäfer Lehrstuhl für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin Thomas Göen Lehrstuhl für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin

Involved external institutions

University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) / Vysoká škola chemicko-technologická (VŠCHT) CZ Czech Republic (CZ) Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) / Folkehelseinstituttet NO Norway (NO) Wageningen University & Research NL Netherlands (NL) Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) ES Spain (ES) Institut für Prävention und Arbeitsmedizin der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (IPA) DE Germany (DE) École nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation de Nantes-Atlantique (ONIRIS) FR France (FR) Aarhus University DK Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Nübler, S., Esteban Lopez, M., Castano, A., Mol, H., Schäfer, M., Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi, K.,... Göen, T. (2021). Interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICI) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUAS) for cadmium in urine and blood: Results from the HBM4EU project. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 234. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113711

MLA:

Nübler, Stefanie, et al. "Interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICI) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUAS) for cadmium in urine and blood: Results from the HBM4EU project." International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 234 (2021).

BibTeX: Download