Application of Statistical Methods to Activation Analytical Results near the Limit of Detection : Arsenic in human skin biopsies

Reporting actual numbers instead of upper limits for analytical results at or below the detection limit may produce reliable data when these numbers are subjected to appropriate statistical processing. Particularly in radiometric methods, such as activation analysis, where individual standard deviations of analytical results may be estimated, improved discrimination may be based on the Analysis of Precision.

Actual experimental results from a study of the concentrations of arsenic in human skin demonstrate the power of this principle.