Present
Apologies for absence:
-
Dr. Robert Vocke
-
Prof. Klaus Heumann
Summary:
The members were welcomed to the meeting by Prof. Okamoto.
The minutes of the 6th meeting of the Commission in Geneva, Switzerland
and the special meeting in Tsukuba, Japan were adopted as distributed.
Chairman Okamoto then discussed the special meeting of the Inorganic
Division Committee meeting in North Carolina. Taken in the context
of proposed changes for the Union it was clear that Commission II.4
would have to make some changes in operations to adequately plan for
the future after 2001.
The next item of business was that of membership for
the Commission. Two members, Dr. Vocke of NIST and Dr. Taylor of IRMM
have withdrawn for various reasons. The Secretary has agreed to stay
for another two years leaving the TM positions full. Three new associate
members were accepted for the Commission representing Korea, Sweden,
and IRMM. The Secretary will distribute a revised mailing list to
all members. The major item for discussion was the present status
of the IMEPs (International Measurement Evaluation Programmes) in
progress at the last meeting of the Commission. An item by item summary
follows.
Review of the current rounds of the International Measurement
Evaluation Programmes (IMEPs)
IMEP Round-7 Trace Elements in Human Serum
Nine elements were certified or assigned for the human serum IMEP.
The participants programme was completed in 1998 shortly after the
Geneva meeting. There has been one programme publication through IRMM
(Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Geel Belgiumm)
as an EU technical publication and there has been one other publication
in the open literature.
> View Project
240/10/96
IMEP Round-8 Carbon Isotope Ratios in CO2
This programme is scheduled to run through the year 2000 and is currently
undergoing technical evaluation at IRMM.
> View Project
240/12/98
IMEP Round-9 Trace Elements in Natural Water
Fifteen elements were certified or assigned in the natural water using
multiple certification institutes in for some elements. This participants
programme, one of the largest to date, was completed in 1998 and a
participants technical report was prepared late by IRMM in 1999. Two
other publications for the open literature have been prepared and
are currently in press. The participants reaction has been to encourage
another similar IMEP round for drinking water.
>View Project 240/11/97
IMEP Round-10 Trace Elements in Polyethylene
Eight elements were certified or assigned by the certifying laboratories.
The participants programme was completed in 1998 and a participants
report was prepared by IRMM after the Geneva meeting, late in 1998.
Additional publications for the open literature have been prepared
and are submitted for publication.
>View Project 240/8/95
and 240/13/98
IMEP Round-11 Trace Elements in Car Exhaust Catalysts
Two elements were certified and two elements were assigned by the
certifying laboratories. The participants programme was completed
in 1999 and a participants report was issued in 1999 by IRMM. Additional
publications are in preparation.
>View Project 240/7/95
Summary - Of the 5 IMEPs in progress or proposed
in 1997, four have been completed and the fifth, the carbon isotope
ratios in CO2 is undergoing technical feasibility evaluation
at IRMM now. The IMEPs generally take longer than two years anyway,
but the last two years have enabled all but one of the authorised
IMEPs to be completed.
Review of Future IMEP Rounds
At least seven other IMEPS are planned for the future,
two of which are under evaluation now. A trace elements in polyethylene
(IMEP 13) and a trace elements in sediment (IMEP 14) could be completed
in 2000. Other possible IMEPS in the 2000-2001 period could be another
trace elements in water, a Boron isotopes in water, a lead in wine,
and another human serum IMEP round. Still other IMEP rounds are seen
for the future but their possibilities will depend on the future of
the Commission, something not known in Berlin. The IMEPs lend themselves
to a project basis but the two year project might not be possible
for Commission II.4.
Summary - The Commission decided to propose two
new IMEPs now (13 and 14; IUPAC Project 240/13/98
and 240/14/98)
and to meet again in Japan in 2000 to review and adapt other IMEPs
to complete by 2001.
Action items
