Often considered as a simple task, chemical analysis actually requires a variety of quite complex skills. As a practitioner in an interdisciplinary science, the analytical scientist is relied upon to have the knowledge and skill to help solve problems or to provide relevant information. They will need to think laterally, examine the process from sampling to final result carefully, in addition to selecting the appropriate technique in order to satisfy the objective and obtain a reliable result. The aim of this book is to provide basic training in the whole analytical process for students, demonstrating why analysis is necessary and how to take samples, before they attempt to carry out any analysis in the laboratory. Initially, planning of work, and collection and preparation of the sample are discussed in detail. This is followed by a look at issues of quality control and accreditation and the basic equipment (eg. balances, glassware) and techniques that are required. Throughout, safety issues are addressed, and examples and practical exercises are given. Chemical Analysis in the Laboratory: A Basic Guide will prove invaluable for students of chemistry, plant science, food science, biology, agriculture and soil science, providing them with a guide to the skills that will be required in the Analytical Laboratory. Teachers and lecturers will also find the material of assistance in developing the analytical thinking and skills of their students. New employees in analytical laboratories will welcome it as an indispensable guide.

The study of the environment requires the reliable and accurate measurement of extremely small quantities of chemicals and the ability to determine if they are pollutants or naturally occurring species. Historically, a "dilute and disperse" method of waste disposal has been accepted; yet as we learn the long-term consequences of such an approach, it is clear that more rigorous waste management techniques are necessary to understand the sources and fates of contaminants and to regulate their discharge. This volume presents the details of the basic analytical science involved in making these measurements. It concentrates on the basic principles of sampling and sample preparation, followed by the chemical principles of the major instrumental methods used in chemical analysis, and detailed discussions of the major environmental matrices. This book also provides coverage of topics usually only partially discussed in textbooks, such as quality assurance plans and statistical data handling. Students majoring in environmental sciences need a foundation in measurement techniques used in the field. Environmental Chemical Analysis gives students a thorough grounding in this field and enough information to judge the quality and interpret the information produced in the analytical laboratory.

Written by chemists for chemists, this is a comprehensive guide to the important radionuclides as well as techniques for their separation and analysis. It introduces readers to the important laboratory techniques and methodologies in the field, providing practical instructions on how to handle nuclear waste and radioactivity in the environment.

This book provides practical information about quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) systems, including definition of all tools, understanding of their uses, and an increase in knowledge about the practical application of statistical tools during analytical data treatment. Clearly written and logically organized, this book delineates the concepts of practical QA/QC, taking a generic approach that can be applied to any field of analysis. Using an approach grounded in hands-on experience, the book begins with the theory behind quality control systems and then moves on to discuss examples of tools such as validation parameter measurements, the use of statistical tests, counting the margin of error, and estimating uncertainty. The second edition features newly added chapters covering changes in the regulatory environment, internal quality-control and equivalence method. Over 80 examples are featured in this new edition, including Excel spreadsheets for users to problem solve. Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory: A Practical Approach, Second Edition is a great reference for students, laboratory employees, and academics working in the fields of analytical chemistry, pharmaceuticals, or life sciences. With its comprehensive coverage, this book can be of interest to researchers in the industry and academic, as well as government agencies and legislative bodies. Book jacket.

Analytical chemical results touch everyones lives can we eat the food? do I have a disease? did the defendant leave his DNA at the crime scene? should I invest in that gold mine? When a chemist measures something how do we know that the result is appropriate? What is fit for purpose in the context of analytical chemistry? Many manufacturing and service companies have embraced traditional statistical approaches to quality assurance, and these have been adopted by analytical chemistry laboratories. However the right chemical answer is never known, so there is not a direct parallel with the manufacture of ball bearings which can be measured and assessed. The customer of the analytical services relies on the quality assurance and quality control procedures adopted by the laboratory. It is the totality of the QA effort, perhaps first brought together in this text, that gives the customer confidence in the result. QA in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory takes the reader through all aspects of QA, from the statistical basics and quality control tools to becoming accredited to international standards. The latest understanding of concepts such as measurement uncertainty and metrological traceability are explained for a working chemist or her client. How to design experiments to optimize an analytical process is included, together with the necessary statistics to analyze the results. All numerical manipulation and examples are given as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that can be implemented on any personal computer. Different kinds of interlaboratory studies are explained, and how a laboratory is judged in proficiency testing schemes is described. Accreditation to ISO 17025 or OECD GLP is nearly obligatory for laboratories of any pretension to quality. Here the reader will find an introduction to the requirements and philosophy of accreditation. Whether completing a degree course in chemistry or working in a busy analytical laboratory, this book is a single source for an introduction into quality assurance.

Fit-for-purpose is a phrase familiar to all users of analytical data, who need to be assured that data provided by laboratories is both appropriate and of the required quality. Quality in the Food Analysis Laboratory surveys the procedures that a food analysis laboratory must consider to meet such requirements. The need to introduce quality assurance, the different quality models that are available and the legislative requirements are considered. Specific aspects of laboratory practice and particular areas of accreditation which may cause problems for analytical laboratories are also discussed. Covering for the first time those areas of direct importance to food analysis laboratories, this unique book will serve as an aid to those laboratories when introducing new measures and justifying those chosen.

The Application of Mathematical Statistics to Chemical Analysis presents the methods of mathematical statistics as applied to problems connected with chemical analysis. This book is divided into nine chapters that particularly consider the principal theorems of mathematical statistics that are explained with examples taken from researchers associated with chemical analysis in laboratory work. This text deals first with the problems of mathematical statistics as a means to summarize information in chemical analysis. The next chapters examine the classification of errors, random variables and their characteristics, and the normal distribution in mathematical statistics. These topics are followed by surveys of the application of Poisson's and binomial distribution in radiochemical analysis; the estimation of chemical analytic results; and the principles and application of determination of experimental variance. The last chapters explore the determination of statistical parameters of linear relations and some working methods associated with the statistical design of an experiment. This book will be of great value to analytical chemists and mathematical statisticians.