Our dissolved organic carbon (DOC) lab is involved in a program that provides Consensus Reference Material (CRM) to the international community of DOC analysts.
Learn more about the Organic Biogeochemistry Research group
The CRMs should be used when you wish to reference your results against the international community of DOC analysts. We have several thousand vials of each CRM available, so we encourage their use on each analytical day. More vials will be prepared for distribution as needed. The good news is that more and more DOC labs around the world are using DOC CRMs since this project started in 1999. By the end of 2010, 1128.5 boxes of CRM vials were sent to 241 DOC labs in 36 countries.
The cost of developing and maintaining the DOC-CRM program has been borne by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The program is currently slated to run into the year 2016. Subsequent funding will be contingent on the success of the program, as demonstrated by the DOC community's commitment to the use of CRMs. If we use them effectively, the program may continue. If we elect to not use them, the service will end.
The deep seawater reference (DSR) water is collected in the Florida Strait at 700 m depth. We also have now available mid seawater reference (MSR), this water is collected at 150 m depth and surface seawater reference (SSR) which is collected at 5 m depth. The low carbon water (LCW) is prepared using water from our Milli-Q® Advantage A10 System.
DSR water (41-45 μM DOC), MSR water (55-59 uM DOC), SSR water (71-75 uM DOC) and LCW (∼1-2 μM DOC) are available in 20 and 40 mL vials. They have been acidified with hydrochloric acid and tested to be stable for at least two years. They should be stored in the dark at room temperature. These waters have been tested for DOC concentrations by the laboratories of Prof. Craig Carlson, Prof. Dennis Hansell and Lillian Custals, Prof. Hiroshi Ogawa, Prof. Liz Austin-Minor, Dr. Chiara Santinelli, and Prof. Youhei Yamashita.
The consensus values of DOC and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) for each CRM batch can be found below in Table 1.
The DOC CRM vials are no longer free to the users as NSF cut its funding to the program. The cost per box of 72 × 20 mL vials is $50 for the LCW and $100 for DSR, MSR and SSR respectively. The cost per box of 72 × 40 mL vials is $100 for the LCW and $200 for DSR, MSR and SSR respectively. As before, users need to pay for the cost of shipping. To request CRMs, please provide your name, number of vials required of each CRM (minimum of 36 vials of LCW, DSW, MSR and SSR), your shipping address and telephone number. We will ship most CRMs via FedEx or DHL. If your institute has a FedEx, DHL or other courier account number, please send that to us and we will ship immediately. If your institute does not have a courier account, you will be charged in the sum of the cost of the vials and that of shipping. An invoice will be sent to you in 2-6 weeks after you receive the vials. Instruction on ways to pay the bill will be included in the invoice.
Please contact Lillian Custals for more information or to place orders.
Lillian Custals
CRM Program Manager
University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149
Email: lcustals@rsmas.miami.edu
Tel: 305-421-4049
Fax: 305-421-4689
Table 1. Consensus values of DOC and TDN for prior batches of deep sea water reference materials.
BATCH (year) |
Source |
DOC Concentration (µM) |
TDN Concentration (µM) |
Batch 1 - 1999 |
Sargasso Sea at 2600 m |
44-45 |
20.8-21.8 |
Batch 2 - 2000 |
Sargasso Sea at 2600 m |
44-47 |
20.6-21.6 |
Batch 3 - 2003 |
Sargasso Seaat 2600 m |
44-46 |
21.5-22.5 |
Batch 4 - 2004 |
Sargasso Sea at 2600 m |
44-47 |
21.0-22.0 |
Batch 5 - 2005 |
Sargasso Sea at 2600 m |
44-47 |
20.7-21.7 |
Batch 5 FS – 2005 |
Florida Strait at 700 m |
47-48 |
22.3-23.3 |
Batch 6 FS – 2006 |
Florida Strait at 700 m |
44-46 |
32.05-33.55 |
Batch 7 –2007
|
Florida Strait at 700 m |
41-44 |
32.25-33.75
|
Batch 8 –2008
|
Florida Strait at 700 m |
41-43 |
32.25-33.75
|
Batch 9-2009
|
Florida Strait at 700 m
|
41-44
|
32.25-33.75
|
Batch 10 – 2010 Lot #05-10
Lot # 09-10 |
Florida Strait at 700 m
Florida Strait at 700 m
|
41-44
42-45 |
31.00-33.00
30.50-32.50 |
Batch 11 – 2011 Lot # 03-11 Lot # 06-11 Lot # 12-11 |
Florida Strait at 700 m
|
41-44 |
30.50-32.50 |
Batch 12 -2012 Lot # 03-12 Lot # 06-12 Lot # 10-12 Lot # 11-12 |
Florida Strait at 700 m
|
41-44
|
31.50-33.50
|
Batch 13 – 2013 Lot # 02-13 Lot# 05-13 Lot# 08-13 |
Florida Strait at 800 m
Florida Strait at 700 m
|
41-44 |
31.00-33.00
|
Batch 14 – 2014 Lot # 01-14 Lot # 07-14
|
Florida Strait at 750 m
|
42-45 |
31.00-33.00 |
Batch 15 – 2015 Lot # 01-15 Lot # 07-15 |
Florida Strait at 750 m
|
42-45
41-44 |
31.00-33.00
30.50-32.50 |
Batch 16 – 2016 Lot 05-16
Batch 16-2016 Lot 11-16
Lot 11-16
Batch 17-2017
Lot 04-17*
Lot 04-17*
Batch 17-2017
Lot 04-17*
Lot 04-17*
Lot 04-17*
Lot 04-17* |
DSR
DSR
DSR
MSR
SSR
|
44-45 uM
1 µM
42-44 µM
43-45 µM
54-56 µM
73-75 µM
1 µM |
31-33 µM
0.1 µM
32-33 µM
0.1 µM
32-33 µM
10-12 µM
3-5 µM
0.1 µM
|
* Currently available.