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detection limit
This term is a technical specification used primarily in analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and environmental science. It describes the threshold of sensitivity for a piece of equipment or a chemical assay, marking the boundary between a measurable signal and random noise.
In professional reporting, it is often contrasted with the limit of quantitation (LOQ). While the detection limit confirms the presence of a substance, the LOQ defines the lowest concentration that can be measured with a specific degree of precision and accuracy.
Meanings
The lowest quantity of a substance or the smallest change in a physical property that can be reliably distinguished from a blank or background signal by an analytical method.
The laboratory reported that the concentration of the contaminant was below the detection limit of the equipment.