Measurement of near zero concentration: recording and reporting results that fall close to or below the detection limit

Abstract

Issues relating to the recording and reporting of analytical data obtained where the concentration of analyte is around or below the detection limit are discussed. The following recommendations are proposed. Analytical results should be recorded by the analyst exactly as they occur, including any negative results, and such records retained for an appropriate length of time. For the purposes of quality assurance in the laboratory (including method validation, internal quality control, and proficiency testing), negative results should be used as they stand. Analytical results reported to a customer should be accompanied by a statement of uncertainty including, in the present context, uncertainty at low concentrations of analyte. The method of editing of reported results must be a contractual matter between the analyst and the customer, but a statement of the procedure used should accompany the results and should be explicit. Normally such editing should be restricted to setting negative results to zero. The customer should be encouraged to pass on the statement to all end users. Data intended for the public domain should be accompanied by a statement detailing the uncertainty, the method of editing, and the location of the unedited data. Most types of statistical processing of datasets containing low concentrations of analyte should be undertaken on the unedited data.