How to Store Reference Standards

Description

Variations in analyte concentration can disrupt analyses, impede your lab’s workflow, and lead to wasted time and money. Properly storing your reference standards helps ensure the optimal stability of your analytes, allowing you to focus on the analysis.

In this Restek Tip, we’re going to explore how to safely store your reference standards at varying temperature ranges, and where you can find detailed storage information about your specific standards.

Additional Resources

• Handling Your Analytical Reference Standards

Restek Recommended Tools & Parts

• Restek's Reference Standards
• Restek's Search, Select, and Custom Request Reference Standards

Transcript

Correctly storing your reference materials is essential to ensure the optimal stability of the analytes in your standard. In today's Restek Tip, we're going to cover reference material storage. We'll talk about why it's important to safely store your reference materials and how to store them.

So, let's start with the basics: always follow the instructions on your reference material's certificate. Information may also be available on the ampul transport container label and the label on the ampul itself. This information may include specific requirements for storage and sonication.

Unless noted on your certificate, it can be safe to store your reference materials at lower then specified temperatures. If you do, be sure to allow your ampul to reach room temperature and then invert your ampul several times prior to opening. This is to ensure your analytes are not in the headspace of the ampul. If there is any observable undissolved material, sonication may be necessary.

What about storage at higher temperatures? Well, in general, short-term exposure—a time period less than seven days—to a higher storage temperature should not negatively affect the long-term stability of your standard. Note that once the standard is open, the integrity of the standard is now subject to handling and storage conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

If you have any questions, contact us at restek.com, or leave a comment below. Please like and subscribe, and thanks for joining us for this Restek Tip.