Abstract
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to develop a quality control protocol of inorganic acids using ion chromatograph and to evaluate analytical proficiency of the legally designated agencies. Methods: This study prepared inorganic acid samples by injecting three anion certified solutions (chloride, nitrate, and sulfate) on the quartz filters. To investigate the storage stability and concentration consistency of the samples, 240 samples for each anion were tested at weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 while storing at 4℃ and 25℃. To evaluate analytical proficiency, two separate testings were administrated for six skilled analysts and 46 analysts affiliated with legally designated agencies. Results: Average recoveries of the three ions after 16 weeks of storage were fairly high (over 95%). In addition, average recoveries (chloride = 97%, nitrate = 96%, and sulfate = 103%) after 16 weeks of storage at low temperate were relatively higher than those (94%, 93%, and 98%) at room temperature. The coefficients of variation (CV) for the three ions were less than 5% except for the sulfate sample at 5.56 ㎍ (CV = 12.4%). The average ratios of the concentration values analyzed by the legally designated agencies to the injected concentrations were close to 1. However, their CVs were relatively greater (chloride ≤ 49%, nitrate ≤ 14%, and sulfate ≤ 28%), which implies a need for quality control. Conclusions: The quality control protocol used in this study for the three inorganic acids can be utilized in the quality control for ion chromatography.
