Producing Certified Reference Materials at the Central Geological Laboratory of Mongolia

This paper briefly outlines the production and certification of reference materials at the Central Geological Laboratory (CGL) of Mongolia. The marketing of CRMs produced in Mongolia, as well as problems encountered in internationally recognised certification attempts and some proposed solutions, are discussed. The basic elements of the CGL’s strategy for the development of the CRM sector are to produce high quality CRMs according to the requirements of internationally recognised norms, to consider the market needs, to certify the RMs at the international level and to widely advertise them to the geochemical community. The CGL has already established the basis for the further development of this sector by, for instance, accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025, by modernising its preparation technology, by cooperation with international organisations in the field of CRMs and by permanent participation in the International Association of Geoanalysts’ GeoPT™ proficiency testing programme.