What is a spiked sample?

What is a spiked sample?

• A. A wet wipe spiked with a known amount of lead to test the laboratory's ability to analyze dust wipe samples
• B. A wipe without any lead added
• C. A sample collected from a non-contaminated area
• D. A dried wipe used for long-term storage

Answer: (A)

A spiked sample is a quality control measure where a known amount of lead is added to a wipe so the laboratory can test its ability to accurately analyze dust wipe samples. By preparing a wet wipe with a defined lead mass and having the lab measure it, you can compare the reported value to the known amount to assess accuracy and recovery, and to spot any bias or problems in the method, instrumentation, or handling. For example, if you spike a wipe with 50 micrograms of lead and the lab reports about 48–52 micrograms, the recovery is ~96–104%, indicating good method performance within typical acceptance ranges. This contrasts with a wipe that has no lead (a blank), a sample from a non-contaminated area, or a dried wipe for storage, none of which test the lab’s measurement accuracy in the same way.

A spiked sample is a quality control measure where a known amount of lead is added to a wipe so the laboratory can test its ability to accurately analyze dust wipe samples. By preparing a wet wipe with a defined lead mass and having the lab measure it, you can compare the reported value to the known amount to assess accuracy and recovery, and to spot any bias or problems in the method, instrumentation, or handling. For example, if you spike a wipe with 50 micrograms of lead and the lab reports about 48–52 micrograms, the recovery is ~96–104%, indicating good method performance within typical acceptance ranges. This contrasts with a wipe that has no lead (a blank), a sample from a non-contaminated area, or a dried wipe for storage, none of which test the lab’s measurement accuracy in the same way.