| Following previous work, the production of reference material for nutrients in seawater, using pasteurization as a preservation method, was carried out seven times between 2006 and 2010 in the framework of inter-laboratory exercises. The preparation of samples from natural seawater allowed to become depleted in nutrients then spiked, bottled and pasteurized, is described. Five main nutrients are involved in this study: ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate. Bottles are in glass for the ammonium samples and in plastic for the other nutrients. Pasteurization was performed at 80 ± 3 °C for 2 h. Samples were controlled for homogeneity and stability at 3–5 month interval, before and after the period allocated for each exercise and a third time... |
