Peptides MEX / Glossary
LOD and LOQ: detection versus quantitation limits
Analytical sensitivity includes different limits for recognizing a signal and assigning a reliable quantity.
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Two analytical questions
LOD commonly means limit of detection: the lowest level at which an analyte can be detected under defined conditions. LOQ is the quantitation limit, requiring suitable quantitative performance. A method may detect a signal without supporting a quantity of the required quality.
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Interpreting censored results
Below LOQ does not necessarily mean zero or demonstrated absence. Read the laboratory convention, analyte and unit. Also distinguish a method limit from an acceptance criterion: they answer different questions.
Sources: [1]
Questions about this reference
Does not quantifiable mean not detected?
Not necessarily. A detected signal may lie below the quantifiable range.
Sources and original reading
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