Robert Wielgosz

A redetermination of the argon content of air for buoyancy corrections in mass standard comparisons

A redetermination of the argon mole fraction in air has been undertaken in two samples of dried natural air using mass spectrometric analysis with reference to a suite of gravimetrically prepared synthetic dry air mixtures. The resulting measurement of the argon mole fraction was 9.332 mmol mol −1 with a combined standard uncertainty of 3 µmol mol −1 . This is significantly different from the value, 9.17 mmol mol −1 , conventionally employed in the CIPM formula for the determination of the density of moist air during mass standard comparisons. Using the presently reported argon mole fraction value in the CIPM formula rather than the conventional value removes the recently identified discrepancy between the two methods of determining the density of moist air during mass standard comparisons: the CIPM formula method and the air buoyancy artefacts method. Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide mole fractions in the dry air samples were obtained simultaneously.

A study of systematic biases and measurement uncertainties in ozone mole fraction measurements with the NIST Standard Reference Photometer

Sources of bias in the National Institute of Standards and Technology ozone Standard Reference Photometer (SRP) maintained by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures have been investigated. A relative bias of ?0.4% in the ozone mole fraction measurement caused by a temperature gradient in the gas cells of the instrument was characterized and corrected for in a modified version of the instrument. A second relative bias of +0.5% due to the multiple reflections of light within the gas cells was also corrected. The Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement approach was used to develop an uncertainty budget for the modified SRP, including a relative value for the ozone absorption cross-section uncertainty of 2.1% (k = 2). The measurement uncertainty for the bias-corrected SRPs is enlarged compared with earlier studies, but their comparability improved.

Mass Balance Method for the SI Value Assignment of the Purity of Organic Compounds

A mass balance method is described for determining the mass fraction of the main component of a high purity organic material. The resulting assigned value is established to be traceable to the SI and can be determined with a small associated measurement uncertainty. Pure organic materials with values and uncertainties determined in this way are necessary as primary calibrators of reference measurement systems in order to underpin the metrological traceability of routine measurement results. The method has been applied to materials in which the main components were respectively theophylline, digoxin, 17β-estradiol, and aldrin. Its performance has been validated in international comparisons coordinated by the BIPM and is in principle applicable to a wide structural range of stable, nonvolatile organic compounds. It has been successfully applied to mass fraction assignments when the main component is present in the range of (950-1000) mg/g and can achieve associated standard uncertainties ranging from 0.5 mg/g (for high purity materials or those containing well-characterized, stable minor components) to 2 mg/g (materials with a significant number or variety of impurities). It is in principle equally applicable to materials with a smaller mass fraction content of the main component.

Influence of correlation on the assessment of measurement result compatibility over a dynamic range

Comparison of measurement results obtained by different measuring equipment on the same reference object is a key element in equipment qualification. The paper discusses an approach for an integrated assessment of a series of comparison measurements taken on more than one (i.e. many) reference object(s). The approach accounts for the fact that measurements taken by one (and also by the other) instrument on a series of ideally independent objects are nevertheless partially correlated due to common uncertainty contributions arising from the measurement process. The approach is exemplified for international comparisons using a (travelling) transfer instrument for the comparison of national instrument standards with a reference standard over a range of measured ozone mole fractions.

Simultaneous determination of various cardiac glycosides by liquid chromatography–hybrid mass spectrometry for the purity assessment of the therapeutic monitored drug digoxin

A high performance liquid chromatography-hybrid tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS(n)) method utilising electrospray ionisation has been developed and implemented for the simultaneous determination of several cardiac glycosides (CGs) as well as their corresponding aglycones formed by and extracted from herbaceous plants of the genus Digitalis. The method has been validated in-house and its performance characteristics (linearity, repeatability, limits of detection, etc.) were assessed for use in the quantification of CGs and their corresponding aglycones. LODs from 38 to 936pgg(-1) in solution, corresponding to mass fraction impurity levels from 0.0009 (or 0.00008%) to 0.019mgg(-1) (or 0.0019%) detectable in the pure materials have been realized. Moreover, the method was used to characterize and to determine the inherent CG impurities in batches of the therapeutic monitored drug digoxin which served as candidate reference material for an organic purity assessment inter-laboratory study (CCQM-P20.f) organised by the BIPM Chemistry Section and carried out within the framework of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry (CCQM). Digoxin was selected from materials required for the establishment of reference measurement systems for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.

Final report on the on-going key comparison BIPM.QM-K1: Ozone at ambient level, comparison with NMISA, 2008

As part of the on-going key comparison BIPM.QM-K1, a comparison has been performed between the ozone national standard of the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) and the common reference standard of the key comparison, maintained by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). The instruments have been compared over a nominal ozone mole fraction range of 0 nmol/mol to 500 nmol/mol.

Methane Standards Made in Whole and Synthetic Air Compared by Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection for Atmospheric Monitoring Applications

There is evidence that the use of whole air versus synthetic air can bias measurement results when analyzing atmospheric samples for methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and wavelength scanned-cavity ring down spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) were used to compare CH4 standards produced with whole air or synthetic air as the matrix over the mole fraction range of 1600-2100 nmol mol(-1). GC-FID measurements were performed by including ratios to a stable control cylinder, obtaining a typical relative standard measurement uncertainty of 0.025%. CRDS measurements were performed using the same protocol and also with no interruption for a limited time period without use of a control cylinder, obtaining relative standard uncertainties of 0.031% and 0.015%, respectively. This measurement procedure was subsequently used for an international comparison, in which three pairs of whole air standards were compared with five pairs of synthetic air standards (two each from eight different laboratories). The variation from the reference value for the whole air standards was determined to be 2.07 nmol mol(-1) (average standard deviation) and that of synthetic air standards was 1.37 nmol mol(-1) (average standard deviation). All but one standard agreed with the reference value within the stated uncertainty. No significant difference in performance was observed between standards made from synthetic air or whole air, and the accuracy of both types of standards was limited only by the ability to measure trace CH4 levels in the matrix gases used to produce the standards.

Final report on key comparison CCQM-K55.b (aldrin): An international comparison of mass fraction purity assignment of aldrin

Under the auspices of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comit? Consultatif pour la Quantit? de Mati?re (CCQM) a key comparison, CCQM K55.b, was coordinated by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in 2010/2011. Nineteen national measurement institutes and the BIPM participated. Participants were required to assign the mass fraction of aldrin present as the main component in the comparison sample for CCQM-K55.b which consisted of technical grade aldrin obtained from the National Measurement Institute Australia that had been subject to serial recrystallization and drying prior to sub-division into the units supplied for the comparison. Aldrin was selected to be representative of the performance of a laboratorys measurement capability for the purity assignment of organic compounds of medium structural complexity [molar mass range 300 Da to 500 Da] and low polarity (pKOW < ?2) for which related structure impurities can be quantified by capillary gas phase chromatography (GC). The key comparison reference value (KCRV) for the aldrin content of the material was 950.8 mg/g with a combined standard uncertainty of 0.85 mg/g. The KCRV was assigned by combination of KCRVs assigned by consensus from participant results for each orthogonal impurity class. The relative expanded uncertainties reported by laboratories having results consistent with the KCRV ranged from 0.3% to 0.6% using a mass balance approach and 0.5% to 1% using a qNMR method. The major analytical challenge posed by the material proved to be the detection and quantification of a significant amount of oligomeric organic material within the sample and most participants relying on a mass balance approach displayed a positive bias relative to the KCRV (overestimation of aldrin content) in excess of 10 mg/g due to not having adequate procedures in place to detect and quantify the non-volatile content?specifically the non-volatile organics content?of the comparison sample. There was in general excellent agreement between participants in the identification and the quantification of the total and individual related structure impurities, water content and the residual solvent content of the sample. The comparison demonstrated the utility of 1H NMR as an independent method for quantitative analysis of high purity compounds. In discussion of the participant results it was noted that while several had access to qNMR estimates for the aldrin content that were inconsistent with their mass balance determination they decided to accept the mass balance result and assumed a hidden bias in their NMR data. By contrast, laboratories that placed greater confidence in their qNMR result were able to resolve the discrepancy through additional studies that provided evidence of the presence of non-volatile organic impurity at the requisite level to bring their mass balance and qNMR estimates into agreement. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Highly accurate nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in nitrogen standards based on permeation.

The development and operation of a highly accurate primary gas facility for the dynamic production of mixtures of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) in nitrogen (N(2)) based on continuous weighing of a permeation tube and accurate impurity quantification and correction of the gas mixtures using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) is described. NO(2) gas mixtures in the range of 5 μmol mol(-1) to 15 μmol mol(-1) with a standard relative uncertainty of 0.4% can be produced with this facility. To achieve an uncertainty at this level, significant efforts were made to reduce, identify and quantify potential impurities present in the gas mixtures, such as nitric acid (HNO(3)). A complete uncertainty budget, based on the analysis of the performance of the facility, including the use of a FT-IR spectrometer and a nondispersive UV analyzer as analytical techniques, is presented in this work. The mixtures produced by this facility were validated and then selected to provide reference values for an international comparison of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM), number CCQM-K74, (1) which was designed to evaluate the consistency of primary NO(2) gas standards from 17 National Metrology Institutes.

An international comparison of mass fraction purity assignment of theophylline: CCQM Pilot Study CCQM-P20.e (Theophylline)

Under the auspices of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comit? Consultatif pour la Quantit? de Mati?re (CCQM) a laboratory comparison, CCQM-P20.e, was coordinated by the Bureau International de Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in 2006/2007. Nine national measurement institutes, two expert laboratories and the BIPM participated in the comparison. Participants were required to assign the mass fraction of theophylline present as the main component in two separate study samples (CCQM-P20.e.1 and CCQM-P20.e.2). CCQM-P20.e.1 consisted of a high-purity theophylline material obtained from a commercial supplier. CCQM-P20.e.2 consisted of theophylline to which known amounts of the related structure compounds theobromine and caffeine were added in a homogenous, gravimetrically controlled fashion. For the CCQM-P20.e.2 sample it was possible to estimate gravimetric reference values both for the main component and for the two spiked impurities. In addition to assigning the mass fraction content of theophylline for both materials, participants were requested but not obliged to provide mass fraction estimates for the minor components they identified in each sample. The results reported by the study participants for the mass fraction content of theophylline in both materials showed good levels of agreement both with each other and with the gravimetric reference value assigned to the CCQM-P20.e.2 material. There was also satisfactory agreement overall, albeit at higher levels of uncertainty, in the quantification data reported for the minor components present in both samples. In the few cases where a significant deviation was observed from the consensus values reported by the comparison participants or gravimetric reference values where these where available, they appeared to arise from the use of non-optimal chromatographic separation conditions. The results demonstrate the feasibility for laboratories to assign mass fraction content with associated absolute expanded uncertainties in the range 0.05% to 0.5% for solid organic compounds of high purity (mass fraction of main component >995 mg/g) and in the range 0.1% to 1% for compounds of lower purity (mass fraction of main component >980 mg/g). Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM Working Group on Organic Analysis.