Recent developments clearly indicate that speciation studies in biological and environmental matrices are much more important than the total element determination due to the tremendous difference in bioavailability and toxicity of various chemical forms of a particular element. Different separation-detection techniques and hyphenated systems—each with its own advantages and disadvantages with respect to precision, sensitivity and detection limit—have been developed for the identification and quantification of the species present in systems at ultra-trace levels. This book aims to evaluate the speciation analysis in depth and present a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art analytical approaches used for the speciation of elements in environmental samples.

Recent developments clearly indicate that speciation studies in biological and environmental matrices are much more important than the total element determination due to the tremendous difference in bioavailability and toxicity of various chemical forms of a particular element. Different separation-detection techniques and hyphenated systems-each with its own advantages and disadvantages with respect to precision, sensitivity and detection limit-have been developed for the identification and quantification of the species present in systems at ultra-trace levels. This book aims to evaluate the speciation analysis in depth and present a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art analytical approaches used for the speciation of elements in environmental samples.

The particular behavior of trace metals in the environment is determined by their specific physico-chemical form rather than by their total concentration. The introduction of atomic absorption spectrometry has lead to a plethora of scientific papers and reports in which metal concentrations in the environment are only reported as total concentrations. Only recently has the need for improved knowledge on the various forms and bioavailability of metals been realised. Considerable research effort is now devoted to measuring the concentrations of trace metals in surface waters. Efforts are made to couple chemical analytical techniques to process-related biological problems. The proceedings of the workshop on The Speciation of Metals in Water, Sediment and Soil Systems held in Sunne, Sweden, comprise these efforts and show aspects for further cooperation between analytical chemists and biologists.

The analysis of soils and sediments for pollutants is increasingly required in today's industrial world. It is therefore important that extraction procedures used for environmental risk assessment studies, production of certified reference materials and applications of extraction schemes are standardised throughout the scientific community. This book deals specifically with operationally-defined extraction methods for the determination of "fractions" of elements in soil and sediment matrices. Bringing together the work of a number of different international laboratories, the book describes single and sequential extraction procedures. It then goes on to present a summary of the latest research on extraction/leaching tests for the determination of trace organic compounds in wastes, followed by an outline of an international network which aims to standardise extraction and leaching methodologies for their applications to various environmental matrices. Methodologies for Soil and Sediment Fractionation Studies will be welcomed by researchers and analysts in academia, industry and government institutions worldwide.

Hardbound. This book provides a comprehensive discussion of the major aspects involved in elemental speciation. Sample preparation, separation techniques, instrumentation and quality assurance are all discussed. In addition, individual chapters are devoted to speciation of environmental samples and speciation of biological, clinical, and nutritional samples. Individual chapters are written by leaders in the field, and the book has been organized so that the reader may learn how to collect a sample and prepare it. Ways to separate and detect analytes of interest, and steps to take to ensure the validity of the measurements are also discussed. This book is unique in its comprehensive treatment of this subject.

Considerable recent research has focused on the topic of chemical speciation in the environment. It is increasingly realised that the distribution, mobility and biological availability of chemical elements depend not simply on their concentrations but, critically, on the forms in which they occur in natural systems. Continuing developments in analytical chemistry have made speciation practicable even where analytes are present at trace levels (as is often the case in natural samples). In the second edition of this book, the expertise of scientists involved in chemical speciation in various fields have been brought together to provide an overview of the current status of speciation science and indicate how the field may develop in the future.

Bioavailability refers to the extent to which humans and ecological receptors are exposed to contaminants in soil or sediment. The concept of bioavailability has recently piqued the interest of the hazardous waste industry as an important consideration in deciding how much waste to clean up. The rationale is that if contaminants in soil and sediment are not bioavailable, then more contaminant mass can be left in place without creating additional risk. A new NRC report notes that the potential for the consideration of bioavailability to influence decision-making is greatest where certain chemical, environmental, and regulatory factors align. The current use of bioavailability in risk assessment and hazardous waste cleanup regulations is demystified, and acceptable tools and models for bioavailability assessment are discussed and ranked according to seven criteria. Finally, the intimate link between bioavailability and bioremediation is explored. The report concludes with suggestions for moving bioavailability forward in the regulatory arena for both soil and sediment cleanup.