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.
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
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).
Biological tissues and sediments
CARP, fish for dioxins, furans, and PCBs
DOLT, dogfish liver for methylmercury
DORM, fish protein for methylmercury
TORT, lobster hepatopancreas for methylmercury and arsenobetaine
PACS and SOPH, marine sediment for dibutyltin and tributyltin
SELM, selenium-enriched yeast for methionine and selenomethionine
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
