The International Mussel Watch 



Mirex and Kelthane may be added to the list in the future, depending on available financial 

 resources for analyses. A final common set of individual chlorobiphenyls (PCB's) will be chosen 

 following the assessment of the results of the first round of intercalibration exercises of 

 IOC/ICES/JMG. 



Analytical Centers 



Sample analysis during the Initial Implementation Phase will be performed by two contract 

 laboratories. Selection of these analytical facilities for analyses of field-collected samples from the 

 regions will be based on the following criteria: 



(i) prior experience in chemical analyses for organochlorine compounds using capillary gas 

 chromatography with confirmatory gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC MS) techniques. 



(ii) proven capability to produce high quality data for organochlorine analyses in marine tissue 

 samples. This should include glass or fused silica capillary GC and access to glass or fused silica 

 capillary GC MS back up. 



(iii) commitment of supervisory scientists in the laboratory for the direction of analysts in the 

 project, quality assurance checks, and assessment of data. 



(iv) reputation and acceptability to international-regional groups of scientists, their governments 

 and international bodies. 



(v) ability to carry out the program within the designated time period. 



Selection of the laboratories has been the responsibility of the International Mussel Watch 

 Committee taking into account recommendations of the Joint IOC-UNEP Group of Experts on 

 Methods, Standards and Intercalibration (GEMSI). 



The first two Analytical Centers selected were the IAEA International Laboratory for 

 Marine Radioactivity (ILMR), Monaco, and the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group 

 (GERG), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, U.S.A. These laboratories will analyze 

 samples and participate in data interpretation from the Caribbean and Central America-South 

 America region phase of the International Mussel Watch Program. 



Program Schedule: 

 Progress to Date 



The International Mussel Watch Committee under the Chairmanship of Professor E. 

 Goldberg was established in 1989 along with a small coordinating office at the University of 



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