A pilot study for the preparation of a new Reference Material based on antarctic krill

The preparation of new Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) of antarctic matrices forms the backbone of an ongoing project in the framework of the Italian National Program for Antarctic Research. The first CRM of this kind (MURST-ISS-A1 Antarctic Marine Sediment) is already available. The second phase focuses on the certification of antarctic krill, a small shrimp extremely abundant in the Southern Ocean. The total mass of krill available for this purpose is approximately 44 kg and results from the combination of three different catches (Ross Sea, Marguerite Bay and Livingston Island, respectively). The quantification of the following elements in the raw mass appears to be affordable by current analytical techniques, values being in the range of (in mu g/g) 0.11-0.30 for As, 0.03-0.12 for Cd, 0.06-0.23 for Cr, 6.1-21 for Cu, 5.7-7.6 for Fe, 0.005-0.008 for Hg, 0.7-1.2 for Mn, 0.013-0.077 for Ni, 0.04-0.57 for Pb and 12-16 for Zn. On the other hand, the average values ascertained in freeze-dried krill are as a rule one order of magnitude higher, i.e., (in mu g/g), 3.2 for As, 0.6 for Cd, 1.8 for Cr, 75 for Cu, 61 for Fe, 0.025 for Hg, 4.6 for Mn, 0.7 for Ni, 2.1 for Pb and 81 for Zn. Information on the pretreatment of krill and details on the planned certification campaign are also given.