Reference measurements and materials
Traceable measurements with known uncertainties are essential to standardisation to:
- Compare measurement results between different testing laboratories and different time points.
- Support product development and manufacturing by using effective QA measures i.e. determine robust product specifications that can be checked consistently.
- Our scientific tools and solutions form an essential part of our customers’ quality and compliance procedures, enabling them to provide safer products, develop new solutions and advance research.
- Help industry comply with regulatory and legislative requirements i.e. reliable measured sample property(ies) compared to legislative and regulatory limits.
Reference measurements
Within the NML at LGC, we are experts in high accuracy chemical (organic and inorganic) and bio-measurements (nucleic acids), offering our customers measurement results they can trust, with known uncertainties and full traceability to recognised international standards.
Our reference measurements are provided using our in-house methods, accredited to ISO17025 (see calibration and testing schedule of accreditation).
In chemical analysis, higher accuracy and traceability are achieved using isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). Using our flexible scope protocols, we can provide traceable measurements with known uncertainties for a wide range of analytes and matrices e.g. food, environment and clinical. The details of those measurements can be found below.
- Inorganic analytes by ICP-MS/SF-ICP-MS (external calibration)
- elements and organo-metals (e.g. Hg, Cd, Cr, Se and As)
- Inorganic analytes by Inorganic High Accuracy IDMS (higher accuracy)
- elements and organo-metals (e.g. Hg, Cd, Cr, Se and As)
- Inorganic analytes by Exact Single Matched (ESM) Standard by ICP-MS/SF-ICP-MS or ICP-OES (higher accuracy)
- Elements and 12C/13C isotopic ratio using Multi Collector-ICP-MS
- Organic analytes using Organic High accuracy IDMS
- A wide range of analytes and matrices
- ISO17025 (Calibration) methods,* including
- forensic alcohols
- purity of organic compounds
- density
- melting point
*Accreditation is held by host company LGC.
- GMO quantification based upon JRC GMO methods using CTAB extraction and ABI 7900HT Real Time-PCR - ground samples of soya, oil seed rape, cereal-based food and feed materials
- Extracted DNA (8 - 80,000 copies) quantification using digital PCR - extracted bacterial, mammalian, plant/crop, plasmid and viral DNA, all in solution
Reference Materials
Within the NML at LGC, we develop and produce reference materials that underpin complex measurements.
Many of the analytical methods used to characterise our reference materials are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 (see calibration and testing schedule of accreditation for details) and have been verified through participation in key comparison studies organised by the Consultative Committee for the Amount of Substance (CCQM) of the International Weights and Measures Organisation (BIPM)
Our reference materials can be purchased through the LGC Standards Webshop.
Further information
Explore our Calibration and Measurement Capabilities.
