Preparation of pure calibrants (arsenobetaine and arsenocholine) for arsenic speciation studies and certification of an arsenobetaine solution – CRM 626

Abstract

Interlaboratory studies have been organised by the Standards, Measurement and Testing Programme in order to certify the content of some chemical forms of arsenic in fish and mussel tissue, soil and sediment. Among the six compounds of interest (arsenite, arsenate, dimethylarsinic and monomethylarsonic acids, arsenobetaine and arsenocholine) only four are commercially available. Arsenobetaine and arsenocholine of well defined purity had therefore to be prepared by the pilot laboratories in charge of the management of the project. The present work deals with the synthesis and characterisation of these two compounds and the certification of the content of arsenobetaine in a standard solution (BCR-CRM 626).