Blank (solution)

A blank solution is a solution containing little to no analyte of interest,{{cite web|url=http://www.speciation.net/Public/Objects/Glossary/?we_objectID=299|title=Glossary – Blank solution|publisher=European Virtual Institute for Speciation Analysis}} usually used to calibrate instruments such as a colorimeter. According to the EPA, the "primary purpose of blanks is to trace sources of artificially introduced contamination."{{cite web | url=http://www.epa.gov/region3/esc/qa/pdf/blanks.pdf | title=Quality Control Tools: Blanks | publisher=EPA | accessdate=2013-05-30 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613220821/http://www.epa.gov/region3/esc/qa/pdf/blanks.pdf | archivedate=2013-06-13 }} Different types of blanks are used to identify the source of contamination in the sample. The types of blanks include equipment blank, field blank, trip blank, method blank, and instrument blank.{{cite journal|last1=Coleman|first1=D.|last2=Vanatta|first2=L.|title=Statistics in Analytical Chemistry: Part 40—Blanks|journal=American Laboratory|date=29 October 2010|url=http://www.americanlaboratory.com/914-Application-Notes/1114-Part-40-Blanks/|accessdate=16 March 2016}}