Results of a Saxitoxin Proficiency Test Including Characterization of Reference Material and Stability Studies

Toxins

Kirsi Harju⁴  Marja-Leena Rapinoja⁴  Marc-André Avondet²  Werner Arnold²  Martin Schär²  Werner Luginbühl⁵  Anke Kremp¹  Sanna Suikkanen¹  Harri Kankaanpää³  Stephen Burrell⁶  Martin Srström⁴  Paula Vanninen⁴ 

[1] Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Erik Palménin aukio 1, FI-00560 Helsinki, Finland;Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, SPIEZ LABORATORY, Austrasse 1, CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland;Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Hakuninmaantie 6, FI-00430 Helsinki, Finland;VERIFIN (Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention), Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, A. I. Virtasen aukio 1, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland;ChemStat, Aarstrasse 98, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland;Marine Institute, Marine Environment and Food Safety Services, Rinville, Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland;

关键词: paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins;    saxitoxin;    proficiency test;    dinoflagellate;    mussel;   

DOI  :  10.3390/toxins7124852

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A saxitoxin (STX) proficiency test (PT) was organized as part of the Establishment of Quality Assurance for the Detection of Biological Toxins of Potential Bioterrorism Risk (EQuATox) project. The aim of this PT was to provide an evaluation of existing methods and the European laboratories’ capabilities for the analysis of STX and some of its analogues in real samples. Homogenized mussel material and algal cell materials containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were produced as reference sample matrices. The reference material was characterized using various analytical methods. Acidified algal extract samples at two concentration levels were prepared from a bulk culture of PSP toxins producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii. The homogeneity and stability of the prepared PT samples were studied and found to be fit-for-purpose. Thereafter, eight STX PT samples were sent to ten participating laboratories from eight countries. The PT offered the participating laboratories the possibility to assess their performance regarding the qualitative and quantitative detection of PSP toxins. Various techniques such as official Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, immunoassays, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for sample analyses.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.