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CRMs; traceability; accreditation; water.

Measurement of trace elements is playing a vital role in industries and various sectors of science and technology including semiconductors, food, health and environmental sectors. In most of the cases a small error in measurement can vitiate all the measures taken for quality control and management. Many decisions regarding the suitability of material/products are based on the analysis. To reduce or eliminate the rejection rate of the products, accurate and reliable measurements are needed which can be achieved by the use of certified reference materials (CRMs). Their use in calibration of analytical equipments and validation of test methods ensures high quality in measurements and it provides traceability to the measurement data with national/international measurement systems (SI unit) also. In the present scenario of globalization of economy, use of certified reference materials (CRMs) in measurements is essential for global acceptance of products and test reports. Their use fulfil a mandatory requirement of international quality systems (ISO 9000, ISO/IEC standard 17025) including our national accreditation body, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), World Trade Organization (WTO) etc. International manufacturers of CRMs are meeting most of the requirement of CRMs of the country. To meet the demand of CRMs indigenously, the National Physical Laboratory, India initiated a national programme on preparation and dissemination of certified reference materials.

A K Agrawal¹

1. National Physical Laboratory, Dr K S Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110 012, India

Published

July 2005