Report on the results of the fifth ICES intercomparison exercise for nutrients in sea water

In these increasingly cost-conscious times, tax payers are

entitled to ask whether their national environmental

research and monitoring programmes are delivering

value for money, and it is understandable and right that

they should. More people than ever are now inclined to

enquire as to the quality of the results of chemical

analyses before using them for their intended purpose,

and 'Quality Assurance' is a phrase on everyone's lips.

It is no secret that marine chemists have generated their

share of random numbers in the past. That said, some of

the techniques in use in environmental analysis twenty

years ago were not sufficiently well developed for their

intended task; for example, the role of contamination and

its influence on these techniques was not fully

appreciated. Nevertheless, today, despite greatly

improved instrumentation and facilities, problems still

can and do occur. The key to solving problems is first to

recognize them and it is in this context that

intercomparison and intercalibration (I/C) exercises have

an important role to play.