COMAR database

From the mid 1980 s the rise of Quahty Standards, Total Quahty Management and Accreditation schemes created a booming demand for RMs and CRMs. Thus, the use and production of matrix RMs rapidly increased the new IAEA database lists 56 producers from 22 cormtries and about 1640 RMs. The 1998 Comar database, which covers a much wider scope, hsts more than 200 producers and around 10 000 RMs see Chapter 8 for more details. 

COMAR database COMAR http //www.bam.de/a i/comar/scr/titel.htm... 

A lot of information abont certified reference material can be obtained from the COMAR database, bnt there is also a large amonnt of information in detailed catalogues of available products on the web-pages of individnal certified reference material prodncers, which are nsnally large scientific establishments. 

ISO-REMCO established the COMAR database in 1984 [64]. Currently, the COMAR database includes information about more than 10,000 RMs/CRMs from over 200 producers in more than 20 countries [65]. 

Beside the network needs, there is a clear need to establish databases in Europe of all existing RMs which were developed not only in recognised production centres (as mentioned in section 5.6, such databases are already available, e.g. the COMAR databases) but also in small production units and laboratories. This collection and exchange of information could also be carried out through networking and a forum for questions-responses could be developed e.g. through Internet this should include possibilities for seeking needs, collect data etc. under the umbrella of the EC. 

Nearly all existing IRMs are searchable via two databases. The COMAR database is operated by BAM and lists several thousand CRMs including IRMs [79]. The GeoReM database lists a large number of materials including IRMs, but also materials that do not fulfill the requirements of an IRM (see the next section) [80]. 

Klich H, Walker R (1993) COMAR-the international database for certified reference materials. Fresenius J Anal Chem 345 104-106. 

Clearly this is an arena in which computer database technology has a major role to play. Perhaps the best developed such database is COMAR (an index Code of Reference Materials). This database tries to provide an up-to-date way to locate CRMs from all around the world. The Central Secretariat is presently housed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Berlin, Germany. Further information is available at the COMAR website (http //www.comar.bam.de/). Nevertheless, this database is not restricted to ocean science applications (indeed... 

Systems of classification very often follow the application fields, e.g. the catalogues of the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC), etc. or the database for certified reference materials COMAR. In all application fields like food and agriculture, environment, health and safety, industry and services, etc., reference materials are used for ... 

COMAR. International database for reference materials. BAM, Berlin, www.comar.bam.de (2006). Accessed 15 May 2015... 

H. BQich and R. Walker, COMAR— The International Database for Certified Reference Materials, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 345 (1993) 104. 

Keith, L.H. et al. (1983). Principles of environmental analysis, Anal. Chem. 55, 2210 Klich, H. and Walker, R, (1993). COMAR - The international database for certified reference materials, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 24S, 104 Kurfurst, U., Pauwels, J., Grobecker, K.-H., Stoeppler, M., Muntau, H. (1993). Micro-heterogeneity of trace elements in reference materials - determination and statistical evaluation, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 345.112 Parr, R.M. (1984). Quality assurance of trace element analysis, in Health Effects and Interactions of Essential and Toxic Elements (Proc. Symp. Lund, Sweden, June 1983) Nutrition Research, special supplement... 

The COMAR (index Code of Reference Materials) database, initiated in the late 1970s, and now freely searchable via the internet (www.comar.bam.de), contains information on some 10000 CRMs from more than 200 producers from throughout the world. The database was developed to aid chemists in finding the RMs they required. The database provides the following information on RMs their basic area(s) of application, their certified values, their form, their country of origin, the producer, and relevant references. 

With more than 200 producers of RMs throughout the world, it is often difficult to find the best one for a specific application. The database COMAR has been developed to assist chemists in finding the RM they need. COMAR is available on discs by LGC, LNE, BAM, NIST, UNIIM, NRC CRM, IIII (see Table 6). 

COMAR (2011) International Database for Certified Reference Materials, http // www.cotnar.bam.de/ (last accessed 09 February 2012). 

Major industrial areas as the cement, ferro, non-ferro, petrochemical, textile or food industry, dispose of numerous Certified Reference Materials (organic and inorganic). For example, only the ferro-industry has already more than 300 CRMs and RMs listed in COMAR, the international database (jointly operated by LNE, BAM and NPL) which lists more than 10285 RMs (as of June 1998) of more than 400 producers [42]. Notwithstanding the size of the polymer industry (total production capacity for commodity thermoplastics is equal to over 140 Mt/a, of which about 50% of polyolefinic nature) it is surprising to note the scarcity of suitable polymer reference materials for elemental and molecular analysis. CRMs made from a polymer material and designed for molecular analysis are lacking totally, while those for elemental analysis are rare. In fact, until quite recently, for elemental analysis of polymers, only one set of four CRMs did exist, namely... 

---