National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) has produced certified reference materials, CRM (hair and urine), which are based on a quality control system that conforms to ISO Guide 35. You can find these items on the RMinfo (Reference Materials Total Information Services of Japan) and COMAR (Committee on Man and Radiation) data base.

　NIMD CRM will be handed out for free to the laboratories in universities, public institutes, and private research institutes that perform chemical analysis related to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Please answer questions below when applying. Your feedback will enable us to improve our new product. Transfer and sale will be prohibited in principle.

　Please check the distribution conditions above.
If you would like to apply, please send an E-mail to the following address with the required information below.
rminfo【♡】env.go.jp （Replace【♡】 with @）
(contact person : HARAGUCHI Koichi)

※Please copy and paste the following details into the text and answer all questions

①Applicant (full name)：
②Name of institute：
③Dept./Section：
④Address：
　City
　State/Province/Region
　Zip/Postal Code
　Country
⑤Phone number：
⑥E-Mail：
⑦Purpose of use
　A: Method development
　B: Exposure level studies
　C: Metabolic studies
　D: Environmental studies
　E: Others ( )
⑧Which certified or reference values do you need?
　A: MeHg
　B: THg
　C: Cu
　D: Zn
　E: As
　F: Se
　G: Cd
⑨Does the concentration meet your needs?
　A: High
　B: Just right
　C: Low
　D: N/A
⑩Witch type of quality control materials do you use in routine analysis ( If you have any other request)?
　A: Hair
　B: Urine
　C: Blood
　D: Fish and mussels
　E: Sediments
　F: Soils
　G: Waters
　H: Spiked Samples
　I: Others ( )
⑪Which key properties of reference material are important when selecting a CRM?
　A: Homogeneity in small amount
　B: Stability at room temperature
　C: Concentration level
Please answer ⑫ only when you apply for NIMD-01.
⑫Does the minimum requirement (quantity) meet your needs?
　A: Too much
　B: Just right
　C: Too little
　D: N/A

　The item will be shipped within a month.
Please note that shipping is not guaranteed if the distribution conditions are not met or if any questions are unanswered.

1.　Certified Value and Indicative Value

　Certified values of NIMD-01 shown below are traceable to the International System of Units (SI). Expanded uncertainties of certified values are obtained by multiplying standard uncertainties by a coverage factor k = 2.

Analytical method

２．Minimum Sampling Volume

　Sampling volume for an analysis should be 20 mg or more to ensure the homogeneity.

３．Period of Validity

　The period of validity of NIMD-01 is Sep. 30 2023 if stored unopened and under the condition satisfying the instructions on storage shown below. The period of validity can be prolonged when further stability was ensured. Updated information on period of validity will be announced here.

４．Product Form

　NIMD-01 is provided in gray powder form and put in a glass bottle. Each bottle contains approximately 3 g of the reference material.

５．Instruction on Storage

　Store in a clean place and avoid light and high temperature (less than 35℃, frozen/refrigerated storage recommended).

６．Instruction for Handle and Use

　（１）Although NIMD-01 is sterilized with γ-ray irradiation, the potential risk as a source of diseases should be considered
　（２）To homogenize the contents, shake the bottle well before use.
　（３）Leaved the bottle at room temperature for more than 30 minutes before measuring sample mass for analytical use.
　　　　Sampling volume for an analysis should be 20 mg or more to ensure the homogeneity.
　（４）Moisture rate of NIMD-01 is approximately 5%. All of the certified values were calculated with dry mass.
　　　　Therefore, measure moisture content of samples to correct obtained values. To measure moisture content, follow
　　　　the instructions.
　　　　Measure out samples ( >100 mg) in weighing bottles and leave them in an oven at 85℃ for 4 hours. After heating,
　　　　close the lid immediately and let them cool in a desiccator for 30 minutes. Measure their mass and compare with
　　　　those measured before heating. The weight difference can be calculated as a moisture content.
　　　　To avoid evaporation and degradation of components, samples for metrological analysis and those for moisture
　　　　content measurement should be prepared separately.

No.	Laboratory	Country
1	Balai Besar Laboratorium Kesehatan (BBLK)	Indonesia
2	Dong-A University	Korea
3	IDEA Consultants, Inc.	Japan
4	Institut national de santé publique du Québec	Canada
5	International Mercury Lab.	Japan
6	Jožef Stefan Institute	Slovenia
7	Kagoshima University	Japan
8	Lumex Instruments	Russia
9	Milestone General.K.K	Japan
10	National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)	Japan
11	National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD)	Japan
12	Nippon Instruments Corporation (NIC)	Japan
13	Pusat Penelitian Dan Pegembangan Kualitas Dan Laboratorium Lingkungan (P3KLL)	Indonesia
14	SHIMADZU Techno-Research, Inc.	Japan
15	St. Petersburg University	Russia
16	Tshwane University of Technology	South Africa
17	University of Ottawa	Canada
18	University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry	US
19	University of Southern Denmark	Denmark

８．Reference

　Haraguchi K, Sakamoto M, Matsuyama A, Yamamoto M, Dang T H, Nagasaka H, Uchida K, Ito Y, Kodamatani H, Horvat M, Chan H M, Rand M, Cirtiu C M, Kim B G, Nielsen F, Yamakawa A, Mashyanov N, Panichev N, Panova E, Watanabe T, Kaneko N, Yoshinaga J, Herwati R F, Suoth A E, Akagi H: Development of human hair reference material supporting the biomonitoring of methylmercury. Anal. Sci. 2020, 36, 561-567.
https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.19SBP07

1.　Certified Value

　Certified values of NIMD-02 (Low) and NIMD-03 (High) shown below are traceable to the International System of Units (SI). Expanded uncertainties of certified values were obtained by multiplying standard uncertainties by a coverage factor k = 2.

NIMD-02 (Low)

NIMD-03 (High)

Analytical method

２．Period of Validity

　The period of validity of NIMD-02 and NIMD-03 is July 31, 2024 if stored unopened and under the condition satisfying the instructions on storage shown below. The period of validity can be prolonged when further stability is ensured. Updated information on the period of validity will be announced here.

３．Product Form

　NIMD-02 and NIMD-03 are provided in a plastic tube. Four tubes are sealed as a set and each tube contains approximately 4 mL.

４．Instruction on Storage

　A short-term stability test for 4 weeks at 37 Celsius degree was conducted considering overseas shipment. A temperature indicator for 37 Celsius degree is enclosed with actual product. Immediately after receiving, store in a clean place at under – 20 degree Celsius and avoid light.

５．Instruction on Storage

　（１）Although NIMD-02 and NIMD-03 are sterilized with γ-ray irradiation, the potential risk as a source of diseases
　　　　should be considered.
　（２）To homogenize the contents, shake the bottle well before use.
　（３）Ensure that the sample is at room temperature when measuring sample mass for analytical use.

６．Participants Involved in Characterization