Environmental specimen banking: A challenge in trace analysis.

The need for environmental specimen collection and storage ("specimen banking") is demonstrated. A survey of the banking concept, storage techniques and storage conditions for 14 selected human and environmental materials in the Federal Republic of Germany is given. This is followed by a description of the banking and analytical facilities of the Specimen Bank in Jülich, and of the sampling and sample preparation performed for marine macroalgae and several terrestrial specimens (carp, mussels, rain worms, beetles and poplar leaves), the rather new approach to the production and extensive application of appropriate control materials, and the methodology used for the determination of toxic metals, metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni and As), anabolic steroids and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Finally the results of the first analytical series and of particular stability studies as a part of long-term investigations are presented and future work is outlined.