The development of a reliable, continuously tunable laser has produced a strong revival in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, allowing the more precise measurement of spectral wavelengths of transitions, the performance of various sorts of Doppler-free high-resolution spectroscopy and the collection of spectral information with high sensitivity from a small ensemble of particles. This review discusses the possibilities of the method and its inherent problems. Tunable lasers must be made easier to operate, more stable and less expensive. It is suggested that the semiconductor diode laser could be the solution to these problems, if it is properly developed.

This book describes both the theory of atomic spectroscopy and all the major atomic spectrometric techniques (AAS, Flame-AES, Plasma AES, AFS, and ICP-MS), including basic concepts, instrumentation and applications. Spectrochemical Analysis by Atomic Absorption and Emission is very wide in scope and will be extremely useful to both undergraduates and lecturers undertaking modern analytical chemistry courses. It contains many figures and tables which illuminate the text, covers various sample preparation methods and gives suggestions for further reading.

Revised and fully updated, the book continues to be highly practical and wide in scope and contains illustrations which aid understanding.

Keeping abreast of the latest techniques and applications, this new edition of the standard reference and graduate text on laser spectroscopy has been completely revised and expanded. While the general concept is unchanged, the new edition features a broad array of new material, e.g., frequency doubling in external cavities, reliable cw-parametric oscillators, tunable narrow-band UV sources, more sensitive detection techniques, tunable femtosecond and sub-femtosecond lasers (X-ray region and the attosecond range), control of atomic and molecular excitations, frequency combs able to synchronize independent femtosecond lasers, coherent matter waves, and still more applications in chemical analysis, medical diagnostics, and engineering.

Over the last few years, we have witnessed increasing efforts dedicated to the scientific investigation and characteristics of trace elements. Especially in the field of human and animal nutrition, trace elements display a considerably attractive issue for research because they play an essential role in the nutrition of both animals and humans. Aquatic environments contaminated with trace elements are an emerging research area due to the toxicity, abundance, and environmental persistence of trace elements. Accumulation of heavy metals as a class of trace elements in various environments, and the subsequent transition of these elements into the food and feed chain, severely affects human health. The determination of type and concentration of trace elements is regarded as the first and most important step to follow the mechanisms controlling the dispersal and accumulation of trace elements. Element speciation in different media (water, soil, food, plants, coal, biological matter, food, and fodder) is pivotal to assess an element's toxicity, bioavailability, environmental mobility, and biogeochemical performance. Recently, new analytical techniques have been developed, which greatly simplified the quantitation of many trace elements and considerably extended their detection range. In this context, the development of reproducible and accurate techniques for trace element analysis in different media using spectroscopic instrumentation is continuously updated.