Trace metal determination in animal tissues: an interlaboratory comparison.

Two dried and powdered preparations of narwhal liver and muscle were distributed to 13 laboratories for analysis for Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, and Se. Laboratories chose their own methods, using atomic-absorption spectrometry, atomic-emission spectrometry with a direct-current or inductively-coupled plasma, anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV), neutron activation analysis (NAA), and gas chromatography. The coefficients of variation ranged from 2 to 5% for Cu, Cd, Zn, Hg in liver, but were somewhat higher for Zn by ASV and NAA. In muscle, the precision for Zn was similar to that for liver, but was poorer for Cu (8.8%) and Cd (19%). For Pb, the overall precision was 15% and 21% for liver and muscle respectively. Selenium in both tissues was determined with an overall precision of 6-7%, except by NAA, for which it was considerably worse, at 21-26%.