Hydrographic Institute participates in CCQM – IAWG and CCQM meetings

From April 8 to 11, the meetings of the CCQM – Inorganic Analysis Working Group (IAWG), CCQM – Gas Analysis Working Group (GAWG), CCQM – Electrochemical Analysis Working Group (EAWG), and the 30th Plenary Meeting of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) took place in Sèvres, Paris.

The Hydrographic Institute (IH), through its Division of Chemistry and Marine Pollution, participated in the CCQM–IAWG meeting held on April 8 and 9, representing Portugal as the designated institute. Topics discussed included food metrology, measurements involving nano- and microplastics, lithium batteries, and data digitalization. A joint proposal was also presented by IH, the Jožef Stefan Institute (Slovenia), and the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories (Monaco) for a future comparison of trace metals and major elements in marine sediments.

The 30th CCQM Plenary Meeting, held on April 10 and 11, brought together around 110 representatives and focused on the reports from the working groups in emerging areas such as metrology for pandemic preparedness, lithium-ion batteries, gene delivery systems, nano- and microplastics, and food metrology. Reports on collaborations with international organizations such as the IAEA, JRC, IUPAC, ISO REMCO, CITAC, and IFCC were also presented, and future strategies in the field of chemical metrology were discussed.

The participation of both IPQ (Portuguese Institute for Quality) and IH in these international meetings reinforces the importance of Chemical Metrology in strategic areas such as environment, health, and energy. It also allows alignment with global scientific and technological developments, while promoting international collaborations and projects.