Asia-Pacific Metrology Program (APMP) and Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) joint proficiency testing with metrological reference values for hazardous elements in cabbage

The Asia Pacific Metrology Program (APMP) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) joint proficiency testing (PT) program was established to improve the ability of quantitative analysis and enhance the quality of the PT program through a better regional linkage between the national metrology institutes (NMIs) and the accreditation bodies (ABs) in the Asia-Pacific region. The first APMP-APLAC joint PT was carried out to quantify hazardous elements Cd and Pb in kimchi cabbage powder, where a candidate certified reference material (CRM) was used as the PT material. A total of 83 laboratories from 37 countries registered, of which 73 laboratories submitted their results. Certified reference values (RVs) provided by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) were used to evaluate the z-scores (z) of participants' results. This program confirms significant importance of the use of metrologically traceable RVs as PT assigned values for rigorous evaluation and reliable assessment.