Guidance Document Estimation of LOD and LOQ
8 years ago
The European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (EURL PAH), the EURL for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food (EURL HM), the EURL for Mycotoxins (EURL Mycotoxins), and EURL for Dioxins and PCBs in Feed and Food aim to provide with this document guidance to official food control in the EU on the estimation of the limit of quantification of analytical methods for the determination of individual substances in the field of contaminants in feed and food. The document focusses on estimation of the limit of detection (LOD) and/or limit of quantification (LOQ) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, mycotoxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs).
The concept presented in the current guidance document consists of two major routes:
- responding to the requirements for determination of PAHs, heavy metals and mycotoxins.
- corresponding to PCDD/F and PCB analysis, where results are calculated as sumparameters and expressed in toxic equivalents (TEQs), converting thereby congener concentrations together with estimated LOQs using toxic equivalency factor (TEFs) into TEQs. Due to the nature of this more complex procedure, emphasis is put in the area of PCDD/F and PCB analysis on the LOQs, while LODs are of minor consequence.
Since the nomination of new EURLs in the field of contaminants in 2018, an updated version of this guidance document focussing on one central approach for LOQs in all fields without legal requirements, is in preparation.