In 2015, the CORESTA Smokeless Tobacco Sub-Group (STS) (now named Tobacco and Tobacco Products Analytes Sub-Group, TTPA) conducted a proficiency study to provide an initial assessment of laboratory capabilities for the analysis of specific metal trace elements in several tobacco and non-tobacco plant matrices. Laboratories were requested to determine arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

This second proficiency study is a follow-up of the first study and provides further recommendations for improvement of laboratory analysis methods.