Report on the 6th ICES Trace Metal Intercomparison exercise for cadmium and lead in biological tissue

A report has been prepared on the 6th ICES trace metal intercomparison exercise giving details of the preparation and circulation of the 3 reference samples used in this exercise and presenting a detailed interpretation of the results submitted by 52 participants. The exercise demonstrated that all participants could produce comparable data for cadmium at a concentration of ca 1 mg/kg but that some participants did not produce comparable data forlead at a concentration of ca 2 mg/kg. Only a minority of participants produced comparable data forlead analysis at a concentration of ~ 0.5 mg/kg. The author recommends that further improvements in lead analysis are needed and suggests that a group of specialists should be convened to resolve this matter.