What is recovery rate experiment
Recovery experiments are a quality control method commonly used in analytical chemistry and environmental science to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of analytical methods. By measuring the recovery rate of a standard substance of known concentration in a sample, it can be determined whether there is a systematic error or matrix interference in the analysis method. Recovery rate experiments are widely used in environmental monitoring, food safety, drug analysis and other fields.
1. Basic principles of recovery rate experiments

The core of the recovery experiment is to calculate the recovery rate by adding a known amount of the target substance (spiking) to the actual sample and then measuring the amount recovered. The calculation formula for recovery rate is as follows:
| parameters | formula | Description |
|---|---|---|
| recovery rate | (measured value - background value) / scalar amount × 100% | The ideal value is 95%-105% |
2. Classification of recovery rate experiments
According to the purpose and design of the experiment, recovery rate experiments can be divided into the following categories:
| Type | Features | Application scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Blank spike recovery | Add standard materials to blank matrix | method development stage |
| Sample spike recovery | Add standard materials to actual samples | Method validation stage |
| Parallel spike recovery | Multiple spiked determinations of the same sample | Precision assessment |
3. Operation steps of recovery rate experiment
A standard recovery experiment usually includes the following steps:
| steps | Operation content | Things to note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample preparation | Ensure samples are representative |
| 2 | Spiking operation | The amount of spike should be equivalent to the expected concentration |
| 3 | Sample processing | Process simultaneously with regular samples |
| 4 | Analytical determination | Using the same analysis method |
| 5 | Data processing | Calculate Recovery Rate and RSD |
4. Acceptance criteria for recovery rate experiments
Different fields have different requirements for recovery rates. The following are the recovery rate acceptance standards for common industries:
| Industry | acceptable range | reference standard |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental monitoring | 70%-130% | EPA standards |
| food safety | 80%-120% | GB/T 27404 |
| drug analysis | 90%-110% | ICH Guidelines |
5. Main factors affecting recovery rate
In actual operation, many factors may affect the recovery experimental results:
| Influencing factors | Influence mechanism | solution |
|---|---|---|
| matrix effect | Sample component interference analysis | Using matrix matching standards |
| Pre-processing loss | Extraction/purification process losses | Optimize pre-processing methods |
| Instrument response | Detector nonlinear response | Calibrate instruments regularly |
| operating error | Irregular human operation | Strengthen personnel training |
6. Common problems and solutions in recovery rate experiments
In practical applications, you may encounter the following typical problems:
| Problem phenomenon | Possible reasons | solution |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery rate too high | Pollution and interference substances co-flow | Check reagent purity and optimize separation conditions |
| Recovery rate too low | Adsorption loss, degradation | Add protective agent to shorten processing time |
| Recovery rate is unstable | Inconsistent operation | Establish standardized operating procedures |
7. Development Trend of Recovery Rate Experiments
With the advancement of analytical technology, recovery experiments have also shown new development trends:
1. Improved automation: Use automatic standardization system to reduce human errors
2. Real-time monitoring technology: online monitoring of recovery rate changes
3. Big data analysis: Use historical data to build a recovery rate prediction model
4. Green analysis method: reduce the use of organic solvents while ensuring recovery rate
Recovery rate experiments are an important part of analytical method validation, and their scientific design and standardized execution are of great significance to ensuring data quality. In actual work, appropriate recovery rate experimental plans should be selected according to specific application scenarios and continuously optimized and improved.
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