- Email: [email protected]
Chemical speciation in the environment
Soil Biol. Biochem.Vol. 30, No. I, p. 117, 1998 0 1997Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Pergamon
Printed in Great Britain 003%0717/98 $19.00 + 0.00
PII: SOO3&0717(97)00072-2
BOOK REVIEW
Chemical Speciation in the Environment,edited by A. M. Ure and C. M. Davidson. Blackie Academic and Professional, 1995. ISBN 0 7514 0021 1. 408 pp. f79.00. Speciation is a term used to describe the form (or forms) a chemical takes in particular environments. As such, information on the distribution of species and their relative concentrations is fundamental to understanding the function of elements within biological and environmental systems. The stated aims of this book are to provide an up-to-date review of the science of speciation and includes a review of current knowledge of the chemical species for each element covered and relevant methodological, analytical and modelling processes used in their separation and quantification. The book is divided into two sections, the first dealing with methodological aspects and the second with particular components of the terrestrial environment i.e. the atmosphere, soils, sediments and natural waters. Also included within the second part is a chapter on speciation of radionuclides. Part I of the book, headed “Techniques for speciation” contains 4 chapters which have the following titles: General strategies for speciation (by W. F. Pickering, University of Newcastle, Australia); Direct methods of metal speciation (S. M. Glidewell and B. A. Goodman (both of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, UK); Hybrid methods of speciation (G. M. Greenway, University of Hull, UK); and Predicting chemical speciation and computer simulation (D. M. Lumsdon and L. J. Evans of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen UK and University of Guelph, Ontario Canada respectively). A brief description of the contents of each chapter is provided: PART I General strategies for speciation
The chapter summarises the various indirect methods used to fractionate chemical species and covers methods based on selective sizing; differential charge; chromatographic methods; selective chemical techniques (e.g. with soils and sediments); and methods of electro-analysis including ion-selective electrodes, polarography, electrode stripping and amperometric titrations. The advantages and limitations of each method are briefly mentioned. Direct methods of metal speciarion
The general principles of eight analytical methods are briefly described and include co-chromatography, radioactive tracers, electron spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, vibrational spectroscopy, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, nuclear spectroscopy and X-ray methods. The elements considered in the chapter include the transition elements plus aluminium and lead. Because of its importance for determining chemical speciation, a larger section is devoted to NMR spectroscopy. Hybrid methods of speciation
Hybrid methods of speciation involve coupled processes that achieve both the separation and analysis of element species. Methods described include gas chromatography (for
species separation) coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry, microwave-induced plasma spectrometry, and mass spectrometry processes (for species detection). Liquid chromatography (based on the HPLC) coupled to various detection devices is also described. A table summarising some uses of the HPLC based analytical systems is provided. The use of cold vapour mercury generation and hydride generation techniques for the analysis of arsenic, antimony and selenium are also discussed. Predicting chemical speciation and computer simulation
A relatively recent development in the study of chemical speciation is the use of computer run models based on theoretical chemical thermodynamic equilibrium systems. The authors acknowledge inherent potential pitfalls of method and state that “the user requires imagination and chemical insight” to solve problems. Because of the importance of thermodynamics to modelling, the authors devote a significant portion of the chapter to a description of basic principles using several systems as examples but in particular aluminium. The importance of surface species is also discussed using ferric oxide/hydroxide colloids as the primary (but not the only) system. The inclusion of functions describing redox and pH dependent speciation is also covered. The authors used a geochemical speciation model (MINTEQAZ) to illustrate the use of models to determine the equilibrium composition of dilute aqueous systems. PART II Important though they be, in the context of this book, the methods used to quantify speciation are tools to serve the greater aim of characterising speciation within the environment. Consequently approximately two-thirds of the book comprises the second section headed “speciation in compartments of the environment”. Five excellent reviews are presented covering speciation in the atmosphere, fresh waters, soils, sediments and combustion wast, and in biological systems (including humans where applicable). One chapter is devoted to speciation of radionuclides and the final to an analysis of recent trends and developments. The latter chapter also adds some detail to the chapters on speciation in biological and soil systems and to some of the analytical methods of Part I. Finally, this book of 408 pages should be of interest to “environmental” scientists investigating soils, waters, the atmosphere as well as the biological and even medical scientists involved with the effects of pollution and some aspects of nutrition on humans. I believe that biochemists, biophysists and modellers involved with environments where gross chemical analysis is an insufficient description of the elemental bioactivity would find this a most useful reference. Personally (and as a non-specialist), I found the reviews to be most informative and useful. The cost of f79.00 seems to be very reasonable. H. V. A. Bushby CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops & Pastures 306 Carmody Rd, St Lucia, Qld 4055. Australia Fax: ( + 61) 07 3371 3946 117
Pergamon
Printed in Great Britain 003%0717/98 $19.00 + 0.00
PII: SOO3&0717(97)00072-2
BOOK REVIEW
Chemical Speciation in the Environment,edited by A. M. Ure and C. M. Davidson. Blackie Academic and Professional, 1995. ISBN 0 7514 0021 1. 408 pp. f79.00. Speciation is a term used to describe the form (or forms) a chemical takes in particular environments. As such, information on the distribution of species and their relative concentrations is fundamental to understanding the function of elements within biological and environmental systems. The stated aims of this book are to provide an up-to-date review of the science of speciation and includes a review of current knowledge of the chemical species for each element covered and relevant methodological, analytical and modelling processes used in their separation and quantification. The book is divided into two sections, the first dealing with methodological aspects and the second with particular components of the terrestrial environment i.e. the atmosphere, soils, sediments and natural waters. Also included within the second part is a chapter on speciation of radionuclides. Part I of the book, headed “Techniques for speciation” contains 4 chapters which have the following titles: General strategies for speciation (by W. F. Pickering, University of Newcastle, Australia); Direct methods of metal speciation (S. M. Glidewell and B. A. Goodman (both of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, UK); Hybrid methods of speciation (G. M. Greenway, University of Hull, UK); and Predicting chemical speciation and computer simulation (D. M. Lumsdon and L. J. Evans of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen UK and University of Guelph, Ontario Canada respectively). A brief description of the contents of each chapter is provided: PART I General strategies for speciation
The chapter summarises the various indirect methods used to fractionate chemical species and covers methods based on selective sizing; differential charge; chromatographic methods; selective chemical techniques (e.g. with soils and sediments); and methods of electro-analysis including ion-selective electrodes, polarography, electrode stripping and amperometric titrations. The advantages and limitations of each method are briefly mentioned. Direct methods of metal speciarion
The general principles of eight analytical methods are briefly described and include co-chromatography, radioactive tracers, electron spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, vibrational spectroscopy, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, nuclear spectroscopy and X-ray methods. The elements considered in the chapter include the transition elements plus aluminium and lead. Because of its importance for determining chemical speciation, a larger section is devoted to NMR spectroscopy. Hybrid methods of speciation
Hybrid methods of speciation involve coupled processes that achieve both the separation and analysis of element species. Methods described include gas chromatography (for
species separation) coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry, microwave-induced plasma spectrometry, and mass spectrometry processes (for species detection). Liquid chromatography (based on the HPLC) coupled to various detection devices is also described. A table summarising some uses of the HPLC based analytical systems is provided. The use of cold vapour mercury generation and hydride generation techniques for the analysis of arsenic, antimony and selenium are also discussed. Predicting chemical speciation and computer simulation
A relatively recent development in the study of chemical speciation is the use of computer run models based on theoretical chemical thermodynamic equilibrium systems. The authors acknowledge inherent potential pitfalls of method and state that “the user requires imagination and chemical insight” to solve problems. Because of the importance of thermodynamics to modelling, the authors devote a significant portion of the chapter to a description of basic principles using several systems as examples but in particular aluminium. The importance of surface species is also discussed using ferric oxide/hydroxide colloids as the primary (but not the only) system. The inclusion of functions describing redox and pH dependent speciation is also covered. The authors used a geochemical speciation model (MINTEQAZ) to illustrate the use of models to determine the equilibrium composition of dilute aqueous systems. PART II Important though they be, in the context of this book, the methods used to quantify speciation are tools to serve the greater aim of characterising speciation within the environment. Consequently approximately two-thirds of the book comprises the second section headed “speciation in compartments of the environment”. Five excellent reviews are presented covering speciation in the atmosphere, fresh waters, soils, sediments and combustion wast, and in biological systems (including humans where applicable). One chapter is devoted to speciation of radionuclides and the final to an analysis of recent trends and developments. The latter chapter also adds some detail to the chapters on speciation in biological and soil systems and to some of the analytical methods of Part I. Finally, this book of 408 pages should be of interest to “environmental” scientists investigating soils, waters, the atmosphere as well as the biological and even medical scientists involved with the effects of pollution and some aspects of nutrition on humans. I believe that biochemists, biophysists and modellers involved with environments where gross chemical analysis is an insufficient description of the elemental bioactivity would find this a most useful reference. Personally (and as a non-specialist), I found the reviews to be most informative and useful. The cost of f79.00 seems to be very reasonable. H. V. A. Bushby CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops & Pastures 306 Carmody Rd, St Lucia, Qld 4055. Australia Fax: ( + 61) 07 3371 3946 117