3. Analyte Losses in Chemical Analysis
The chapter explores the critical aspects of quality control and quality assurance in environmental analysis, emphasizing the significance of minimizing analyte losses during sample collection, storage, and analytical processes. Key focus areas include understanding the causes of analyte loss such as volatilization, reaction, and adsorption, as well as the methodologies to improve measurement accuracy through recovery analysis and the use of blanks. Overall, the chapter provides essential strategies for analysts to enhance the reliability of environmental testing outcomes.
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What we have learnt
- Minimizing analyte loss is crucial for accurate environmental analysis.
- Analytical procedures must incorporate quality control measures to ensure reliability.
- Common causes of analyte loss include volatilization, reactions, and adsorption during processing.
Key Concepts
- -- Volatilization
- The process of an analyte evaporating from a sample, leading to potential loss during analysis.
- -- Adsorption
- The adherence of analytes onto surfaces of containers or other materials, which can reduce the concentration of analytes available for analysis.
- -- Recovery Efficiency
- A measure of how much of the original analyte is recovered after the analytical process, expressed as a percentage.
- -- Matrix Effect
- The influence of other substances in the sample matrix on the behavior or measurement of the analyte.
- -- Surrogate Standard
- A substance similar to the analyte of interest but not present in the sample, used to estimate recoveries in analytical testing.
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