Chemical Reference Materials for Oceanography: History, Production, and Certification.

Abstract

Concentrations of inorganic macro-nutrients, carbonate system parameters (total alkalinity, pH, the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon, and the partial pres- sure of CO2 ), salinity, and the concentration of dissolved oxygen are important char- acteristics of seawater that can be used to define biogeographic provinces, monitor ocean health, and detect decadal-scale changes of oceanic climate. Without reference materials for these parameters, it is difficult to produce reliable datasets or carry out long-term baseline studies that are essential to quantify the extent to which changes in the marine environment may have occurred. This book will provide readers with the latest information about reference materials (RMs) and certified RMs (CRMs) and the knowledge of how to use the RMs/CRMs in their studies. We also describe efforts to develop new reference materials for density, dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and trace metals, which are also important in oceanographic studies. The lead authors of each of these chapters are top scientists in the respective fields. This book will therefore be a comprehensive characterization of chemical reference materials for ocean science written by top experts in each field. This book does not provide a standard definition of a “CRM”. Metrologists may argue that a CRM can only be a product that is manufactured in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines. However, there may be an RM that is distributed widely within a discipline and is used sufficiently to maintain comparability of measurements. In that case, the term CRM is used to refer to a conventionally designated RM. In fact, some RMs are used as CRMs in oceanography. Although the term “CRM” is clearly defined in each chapter, it should be noted that there are some differences in the meaning of CRM between disciplines