Background limits, defined

Definition The detection limit defines the smallest flow or the lowest amount of analyte necessary to obtain a signal that can be distinguished from the background noise. The detection limit is valid for one well-specified analyte upon treatment according to a certain analytical protocol. [27-29]... 

From Figure 1.1.4, one can see that the open-circuit potential is not well defined in the system under discussion. One can say only that the open-circuit potential lies somewhere between the background limits. The value found experimentally will depend upon trace impurities in the solution (e.g., oxygen) and the previous history of the Pt electrode. 

Jones [2.157] has defined D ( dee-double-star ), a figure of merit appropriate to background limited detectors, which removes the need to specify the field of view when listing D. As discussed in Section 2.4, the idealized dependence ofD upon angular subtense of the emitting background is given by... 

Overall, the RDE provides an efficient and reproducible mass transport and hence the analytical measurement can be made with high sensitivity and precision. Such well-defined behavior greatly simplifies the interpretation of the measurement. The convective nature of the electrode results also in very short response tunes. The detection limits can be lowered via periodic changes in the rotation speed and isolation of small mass transport-dependent currents from simultaneously flowing surface-controlled background currents. Sinusoidal or square-wave modulations of the rotation speed are particularly attractive for this task. The rotation-speed dependence of the limiting current (equation 4-5) can also be used for calculating the diffusion coefficient or the surface area. Further details on the RDE can be found in Adam s book (17). 

The limit of detection is the smallest amount of an analyte that is required for reliable determination, identification or quantitation. More mathematically, it may be defined as that amount of analyte which produces a signal greater than the standard deviation of the background noise by a defined factor. Strictly for quantitative purposes, this should be referred to as the limit of determination . The factor used depends upon the task being carried out and for quantitative purposes a higher value is used than for identification. Typical values are 3 for identification and 5 or 10 for quantitation. 

The idea of coupling variational and perturbational methods is nowadays gaining wider and wider acceptance in the quantum chemistry community. The background philosophy is to realize the best blend of a well-defined theoretical plateau provided by the application of the variational principle coupled to the computational efficiency of the perturbation techniques. [29-34]. In that sense, the aim of these approaches is to improve a limited Configuration Interaction (Cl) wavefunction by a perturbation treatment. 

In modern times, most analyses are performed on an analytical instrument for, e.g., gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-violet/visible (UV) or infrared (IR) spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), mass spectrometry. Each of these instruments has a limitation on the amount of an analyte that they can detect. This limitation can be expressed as the IDL, which may be defined as the smallest amount of an analyte that can be reliably detected or differentiated from the background on an instrument. 

Quantification of the limits of detection (LOD), or minimum detectable levels (MDL statistically defined in Section 13.4), is an important part of any analysis. They are used to describe the smallest concentration of each element which can be determined, and will vary from element to element, from matrix to matrix, and from day to day. Any element in a sample which has a value below, or similar to, the limits of detection should be excluded from subsequent interpretation. A generally accepted definition of detection limit is the concentration equal to a signal of twice (95% confidence level) or three times (99% confidence) the standard deviation of the signal produced by the background noise at the position of the peak. In practice, detection limits in ICP-MS are usually based on ten runs of a matrix matched blank and a standard. In this case ... 

The minimum detectable level, or detection limit, is defined as that concentration of a particular element which produces an analytical signal equal to twice the square root of the background above the background. It is a statistically defined term, and is a measure of the lower limit of detection for any element in the analytical process. (This definition corresponds to the 95% confidence interval, which is adequate for most purposes, but higher levels, such as 99% can be defined by using a multiplier of three rather than two.) It will vary from element to element, from machine to machine, and from day to day. It should be calculated explicitly for every element each time an analysis is performed. 

Fig. 12.3. General appearance of a calibration curve. The upper limit of the linear range is defined by saturation, the lower by memory and chemical background or adsorption. In addition, the noise level plays a role for the detection limit.

Now that we have summarized the historical and mathematical background, the objectives, and the limitations of chemical thermodynamics, we will develop the basic postulates upon which its analytic framework is built. In discussing these fundamental postulates, which are essentially concise descriptions based on much experience, we will emphasize at all times their apphcation to chemical, geological, and biological systems. However, first we must define a few of the basic concepts of thermodynamics. 

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