| Title | Detection limit and estimate of uncertainty of analytical XRF results |
| |
| Author | Rousseau, R M |
| Source | Rigaku Journal vol. 18, no. 2, 2001 p. 33-46 |
| Links | Online - En ligne
|
| Year | 2001 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20060228 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Subjects | mathematical and computational geology; x-ray fluorescence; x-ray fluorescence analyses; spectrometric analyses; concentration; Fundamental Algorithm |
| Illustrations | formulae; tables; graphs |
| Released | 2001 01 01 |
| Abstract | Some tools for estimating the uncertainty of XRF results are described. As introduction to the subject, the detection limit is treated even if this parameter and the uncertainty of a result describe
different characteristics of an analytical method. The expression "detection limit" is probably one of the most widely misunderstood in XRF analysis. Not only is there a general lack of agreement about the order of magnitude of detection-limit data,
but also the international convention for calculating such data is not always respected and the way of naming them is questionable. If a consensus exists on the meaning of this expression (the smallest amount of an analyte that can be detected in
a
specimen), the interpretation of data varies greatly. This paper attempts to suppress all this confusion. The basic philosophy behind the interpretation of the concept is reviewed and a new realistic and representative way to name it is
proposed. The distinction between the limit of detection and the limit of determination is clearly established.
General considerations for evaluating the uncertainty associated with the sample preparation are also discussed. Finally, a few
comments on the way of reporting analytical results are presented. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 222740 |
|
|