ISO guides for reference material certification and use: Application to geochemical reference materials

Abstract

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a federation of national standards bodies that has developed a number of international agreements concerning the standardisation of various commercial and scientific activities which have been published as technical standards and guides. Several of the documents describe the way in which measurements should be made to ensure that all laboratories measuring the same quantity in the same material will produce results that are in harmony with one another. Others describe universally accepted practices for the production and use of reference materials. A summary of the ISO guides most relevant to the production of geochemical reference materials is presented; producers of these materials are encouraged to accept these guides in the interest of increasing the credibility and status of reference materials available to the geoanalytical community.