Participation in the biota programmes (BT) is open to all laboratories. The type of sample is tissue from different species of fish (muscle and liver), shellfish and shrimp. The normal validated methods and procedures of each laboratory should be used to analyse the test materials. Laboratories are requested to fill in method information codes (MIC) for each determinand. This allows laboratories to review the range and similarity of the methodologies used.
- Determinand Group
Trace metals
Exercise - Determinand Group
Chlorinated Organics
Exercise - Determinand Group
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Exercise - Determinand Group
Organotins
Exercise - Determinand Group
Brominated Flame Retardants
Exercise - Determinand Group
Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)
Exercise - Determinand Group
Microplastics
Exercise
General Information
- Biota test materials are collected from contaminated waters, seawater and coastal sites in Europe like the North Sea, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
- Depending on the type of exercise, biota samples are prepared from shellfish tissue, fish tissue, fish liver or shrimp.
- Biota samples are either natural contaminated or spiked with a selection of determinands where relevant.
- Biota tissue samples contain ± 50 gram of homogenized tissue.
- Biota samples are autoclaved and have been shown to be stable over a number of years when stored at room temperature.
- Reports contain all data reported under strict confidentiality, including Z-score plots and method information of the methods used.
Determinands
The list below shows the typical determinands for the Biota programmes. For a list of determinands which are under the scope of accreditation please check here.
| Analyte group | Typical analytes | Excersise |
|---|---|---|
Brominated Flame Retardants | BDE28, BDE47, BDE49, BDE66, BDE85, BDE99, BDE100, BDE126, BDE153, BDE154, BDE183, BDE209, TBBP-A, Dimethyl-TBBP-A, a-HBCD, b-HBCD, g-HBCD, Total HBCD, BTBPE, DBDPE, HBBz, EHTBB, EHTEBP, Total lipid | |
Chlorinated organics | PCB11, PCB28, PCB28+PCB31, PCB31, PCB52, PCB99, PCB101, PCB105, PCB107, PCB108, PCB109, PCB110, PCB111, PCB112, PCB113, PCB114, PCB118, PCB128, PCB138, PCB138+PCB163, PCB153, PCB156, PCB170, PCB180, PCB183, PCB187, PCB194, PCB203, PCB209, cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, Oxychlordane, Dicofol, op'-DDT, pp'-DDE, pp'-DDT, pp'-DDD, Dieldrin, HCB, HCBD, a-HCH, b-HCH, d-HCH, g-HCH, Heptachlor, Heptachlor-epoxide (sum), Transnonachlor | |
Lipids | Extractable-Lipid, Total-Lipid | |
Metals | Aluminium, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Calcium, Cerium, Cesium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Gold, Iron, Lanthanum, Lead, Lithium, Magnesium, Manganese, Mercury, Methyl. Mercury, Molybdene, Neodymium, Nickel, Palladium, Phosphorus, Platinum, Potassium, Rubidium, Scandium, Selenium, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium, Yttrium, Zinc, Zirconium | |
Microplastics | Total number of particles, Total mass of particles | |
Organometals | Monobutyltin (MBT), Dibutyltin (DBT), Tributyltin (TBT), Monophenyltin (MPhT), Diphenyltin (DPhT), Triphenyltin (TPhT) | |
Perfluorinated alkyl substances | n-PFOS, total-PFOS, PFOSA, PFDS, PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoA, PFTrDA, PFTeDA, n-PFBS, total-PFBS, n-PFHxS, total-PFHxS, n-PFHps, total-PFHpS, PFODA, PFBSA, PFHxSA, NMeFOSAA, NEtFOSAA, GenX, F-53B | |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Anthracene, Benzo[a]anthracene, Benzo[a]fluorene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Benzofluoranthenes (a+b+j+k), Chrysene, Chrysene + Triphenylene, Dibenz[ah]anthracene, Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, Dibenzothiophene, Fluoranthene, Fluorene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Naphthalene, Perylene, Phenanthrene, Pyrene, Triphenylene, 1-methylanthracene, 2-methylanthracene, 1-methylnaphtalene, 2-methylnaphtalene, 1-methylphenanthrene, 2-methylphenanthrene, 3-6-dimethylphenanthrene, 1-methylpyrene, 1,2-benzodiphenylen sulfide, C1-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C2-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C3-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C1-pyrenes+fluoranthenes, C2-pyrenes+fluoranthenes, C1-chrysenes, C2-chrysenes, C1-benzofluoranthenes, C1-Dibenzothiophenes, C2-Dibenzothiophenes, C3-Dibenzothiophenes | |
Total petroleum hydrocarbons | Total petroleum hydrocarbons | |
Weight | Ash-Weight, Dry-weight |
- Analyte group
Brominated Flame Retardants
Typical analytesBDE28, BDE47, BDE49, BDE66, BDE85, BDE99, BDE100, BDE126, BDE153, BDE154, BDE183, BDE209, TBBP-A, Dimethyl-TBBP-A, a-HBCD, b-HBCD, g-HBCD, Total HBCD, BTBPE, DBDPE, HBBz, EHTBB, EHTEBP, Total lipid
Excersise - Analyte group
Chlorinated organics
Typical analytesPCB11, PCB28, PCB28+PCB31, PCB31, PCB52, PCB99, PCB101, PCB105, PCB107, PCB108, PCB109, PCB110, PCB111, PCB112, PCB113, PCB114, PCB118, PCB128, PCB138, PCB138+PCB163, PCB153, PCB156, PCB170, PCB180, PCB183, PCB187, PCB194, PCB203, PCB209, cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, Oxychlordane, Dicofol, op'-DDT, pp'-DDE, pp'-DDT, pp'-DDD, Dieldrin, HCB, HCBD, a-HCH, b-HCH, d-HCH, g-HCH, Heptachlor, Heptachlor-epoxide (sum), Transnonachlor
Excersise - Analyte group
Metals
Typical analytesAluminium, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Calcium, Cerium, Cesium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Gold, Iron, Lanthanum, Lead, Lithium, Magnesium, Manganese, Mercury, Methyl. Mercury, Molybdene, Neodymium, Nickel, Palladium, Phosphorus, Platinum, Potassium, Rubidium, Scandium, Selenium, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium, Yttrium, Zinc, Zirconium
Excersise - Analyte group
Microplastics
Typical analytesTotal number of particles, Total mass of particles
Excersise - Analyte group
Organometals
Typical analytesMonobutyltin (MBT), Dibutyltin (DBT), Tributyltin (TBT), Monophenyltin (MPhT), Diphenyltin (DPhT), Triphenyltin (TPhT)
Excersise - Analyte group
Perfluorinated alkyl substances
Typical analytesn-PFOS, total-PFOS, PFOSA, PFDS, PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoA, PFTrDA, PFTeDA, n-PFBS, total-PFBS, n-PFHxS, total-PFHxS, n-PFHps, total-PFHpS, PFODA, PFBSA, PFHxSA, NMeFOSAA, NEtFOSAA, GenX, F-53B
Excersise - Analyte group
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Typical analytesAcenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Anthracene, Benzo[a]anthracene, Benzo[a]fluorene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Benzofluoranthenes (a+b+j+k), Chrysene, Chrysene + Triphenylene, Dibenz[ah]anthracene, Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, Dibenzothiophene, Fluoranthene, Fluorene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Naphthalene, Perylene, Phenanthrene, Pyrene, Triphenylene, 1-methylanthracene, 2-methylanthracene, 1-methylnaphtalene, 2-methylnaphtalene, 1-methylphenanthrene, 2-methylphenanthrene, 3-6-dimethylphenanthrene, 1-methylpyrene, 1,2-benzodiphenylen sulfide, C1-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C2-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C3-phenanthren.+ anthracen., C1-pyrenes+fluoranthenes, C2-pyrenes+fluoranthenes, C1-chrysenes, C2-chrysenes, C1-benzofluoranthenes, C1-Dibenzothiophenes, C2-Dibenzothiophenes, C3-Dibenzothiophenes
Excersise