Improvements in the determination of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through a stepwise interlaboratory study approach.

A summarising account of a systematic stepwise approach based on interlaboratory studies carried out by a number of laboratories from European Union and EFTA countries is given. This approach has been designed to improve the analytical state of the art in the determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different environmental matrices. The approach resulted in a certification exercise to produce a sewage sludge as Certified Reference Material (CRM). The results of the programme showed that HPLC and GC are equally reliable for PAH analysis at submicrogram to microgram per gram levels in various environmental matrices. Major improvements were achieved during the programme, resulting in reduced coefficients of variation and between-laboratory differences. Several recommendations emerging from the programme experience are presented.