Influence of sample mass on the measurement confidence of microbial cell wall materials in vacuum-collected floor dust
Abstract
Technological advancements have increased the analytical sensitivity of a wide range of assays, permitting the analysis of vanishingly small concentrations of analyte. Thus, the minimum quantity of sample needed for analysis has become increasingly driven by the analytical sensitivity of the method. Little consideration has been given to the sample size as a determinant of the representativeness of the greater condition sampled. Here we investigate the influence of sample size on the analysis of endotoxin and glucan in house dust. Based on a combination of empirical sampling and modeling, we demonstrate that a minimum of 150 mg of dust is needed for analysis in order to achieve reasonable sampling precision (~20% RSE).