IMEP-34

Trace metals in toys II according to EN71-3:1994

IMEP-34 was an interlaboratory comparison for the determination of the eight trace metals whose safety limits are set out by the EU Toy Safety Directive (88/378/EEC) and specified in the harmonised European Standard EN71-3:1994.

The exercise was open to all laboratories.

The cost of this interlaboratory comparison was EUR 400 per registration.

Test material and analytes

The measurands are antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium. The test material is comminuted paint from alkyd resin paint and comes in bottles of 2g.

General outline of the exercise

Each participant will receive three bottles of the test material. Participants are requested to perform 3 independent analyses (one replicate per bottle) and to report the mean, its expanded uncertainty and coverage factor k. The laboratories are asked to apply the sample preparation method described in EN71-3:1994, but otherwise to follow their routine procedure. Detailed instructions will be sent together with the sample.