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Potentiometric water analysis, second edition
BOOK REVIEWS
951
determmatton of physicochermcal parameters for adsorphon of solutes at the interfaces between the gas and hqmd stationary phase and between the bquid phase and the sobd support. the final chapter constders pracucal aspects of the effect of the sobd support on the condthomng and agemg of columns. Throughout the book, theoretical models and prachcal experiments are used m equal measure to gmde the reader through a farrly detailed consideration of adsorptton phenomena Emphasis 1s piaced on undemtandmg the basts of the technique rather than on specific appli~tIo~ m partrcular areas of amtlysrs N~ero~ equations are presented, but often the reader has to look back several pages to be remmded of the defimhon of symbols A comprehenstve table of defimtrons would have been a helpful addition to the text. All the chapters contam useful diustrattons and tables of relevant data. Some of the figures have been reproduced directly from initial publications and are not of a high quality One would have thou@ that it would have been possible to redraw some of the graphs without too much ddIiculty. Bach chapter has 1t.sown lrst of references, covering the literature up to the mid 198Os,although some of the papers m east European Journals may not be easily accessible The unportance of adsorptron phenomena m gas-bqwd chro~to~phy has been recogmsed for many years, so the topics considered m thrs book are not enttrely new The author claims that this is the first hme that an attempt has been made to consider conststently gas-liquid chromatography and gas-bqmd-sohd chromatography Whether or not thnr is true does not really matter The mam pomt is that a text has been produced which constders, m some detail, theoretrcal and practical aspects of gas-bqmd-sobd chromatography and so it should be helpful to scientists mterested m the fundamental basis of chromatograpmc separations D LITTLEJOHN
PotentiometricWater Analysis, Second Edition:D MIDGLEYand K. TORRANCE,Wiley, Chtchester, 1991 Pages XIV$586
865.00. ISBN O-471-92983-2 This ISa welcome revision of Mtdgley and Torrance’s authoritative text first pubhshed m 1978 The format of the first editron has been mamtained, but the content has been updated to mciude recent developments m electrode technology and ~~tiorne~c methods of mportance m water analysrs Thrs IS very much a practrcal textbook where the authors have tned to provide enough mformation to enable the analyst to use commerctally available son-selectne electrodes without havmg to undertake extensive method development Part I provides a theoretical and practical background to potentiometry and Part II contams almost 400 pages of analytical methods for water analysts Separate chapters m Part I cover electrochemical prmnples, potentiometrrc mstrumentatton and methodology The theory of electrochemistry IS covered m sufliicent detail to allow the analyst to ~d~stand the practmal unportance of the prmcxples and relatio~hlps which affect acttvny, electrode ~~n~~s, liquid lunctton potent&, etc The fundamental basis of different types of ton-selectwe electrodes @SE) are described, but without a detailed explanation of the mechamsms of electrode response Similarly, the chapter concerned wtth mstrumentatton describes what can be achieved wtth modem potenhometnc equipment without labounng the techmcalmes In contrast, the authors have taken the trouble to pomt out the importance of estabbshmg the analytical vtahhty of a method and many readers will find the chapter on the statistical evaluation of data extremely helpful Many papers published on potentlometrtc analysis fat1 to give details of accuracy and precrs~on and omrt a dtscusston of errors The authors have trmd to compensate for those deficienues by provndmg a realistic mdicabon of the ~rfo~an~ of various types of electrodes when appbed m water analysts The value of the book to many readers wtll be the extensive notes on over 35 separate ISE appbcatlons gtven m Part II Not only are the apparatus, reagents and procedures described m adequate detail, but sources of error and electrode performance arc discussed, comments on the lifetime of electrodes, typical response ttmes and comparisons with other methods, where appropnate. The abzbty of potenttometry to provide low-cost measurements m field and laboratory apphcatrons, as well as m on-lme mo~to~ng, has made the ~~iq~ very important m water analysrs Mrdgley and Torrance have provided an up-to-date revtew of methods and procedures which IS clearly wrttten and easy to read Each chapter ts accompanred by a hst of references covermg developments up to 1990 Although the text does not contam all that many figures, it has numerous tables of useful mformatlon on electrochemcal data, electrode comparisons and analytical methods. There is also a list of manufacturers of potenttometrsz equipment Anyone interested m potentiometry or water analysis should obtam a copy of this book D LITTLEJOHN
Spcctrochclrcnl Andysis by Atomic Abmption ad F&don: El850 (softback) Pages xn + 242 ISBN O-851-86873-8
L. LAJUNENRoyal Soctety of Chemstry, Cambndge 1992
Thts book IS very timely, commg on the market, as it does, when the modem analytical atomic spectroscopies such as ICP-MS are becommg tIrmly estabhshed necessnating their mcluston wtth more than a passmg reference m our trammg courses Substanttal chapters deal with Theory of atomc spectroscopy, Atomrc absorptron, Plasma atomic emrsston, ICP-MS, Atomic fluorescence, Sample preparahon, wlnle some smaller chapters cover the Htstologtcal background and Compansons Plame emission is dtsrmssed m two stdes, so the book cannot be described as long-wmdedt The author’s practical experience comes over on many occasions through hts comments on the practical consequences and the relevance of thts or that aspect of theory and so on The author has included numerous diagrams, some his own,
951
determmatton of physicochermcal parameters for adsorphon of solutes at the interfaces between the gas and hqmd stationary phase and between the bquid phase and the sobd support. the final chapter constders pracucal aspects of the effect of the sobd support on the condthomng and agemg of columns. Throughout the book, theoretical models and prachcal experiments are used m equal measure to gmde the reader through a farrly detailed consideration of adsorptton phenomena Emphasis 1s piaced on undemtandmg the basts of the technique rather than on specific appli~tIo~ m partrcular areas of amtlysrs N~ero~ equations are presented, but often the reader has to look back several pages to be remmded of the defimhon of symbols A comprehenstve table of defimtrons would have been a helpful addition to the text. All the chapters contam useful diustrattons and tables of relevant data. Some of the figures have been reproduced directly from initial publications and are not of a high quality One would have thou@ that it would have been possible to redraw some of the graphs without too much ddIiculty. Bach chapter has 1t.sown lrst of references, covering the literature up to the mid 198Os,although some of the papers m east European Journals may not be easily accessible The unportance of adsorptron phenomena m gas-bqwd chro~to~phy has been recogmsed for many years, so the topics considered m thrs book are not enttrely new The author claims that this is the first hme that an attempt has been made to consider conststently gas-liquid chromatography and gas-bqmd-sohd chromatography Whether or not thnr is true does not really matter The mam pomt is that a text has been produced which constders, m some detail, theoretrcal and practical aspects of gas-bqmd-sobd chromatography and so it should be helpful to scientists mterested m the fundamental basis of chromatograpmc separations D LITTLEJOHN
PotentiometricWater Analysis, Second Edition:D MIDGLEYand K. TORRANCE,Wiley, Chtchester, 1991 Pages XIV$586
865.00. ISBN O-471-92983-2 This ISa welcome revision of Mtdgley and Torrance’s authoritative text first pubhshed m 1978 The format of the first editron has been mamtained, but the content has been updated to mciude recent developments m electrode technology and ~~tiorne~c methods of mportance m water analysrs Thrs IS very much a practrcal textbook where the authors have tned to provide enough mformation to enable the analyst to use commerctally available son-selectne electrodes without havmg to undertake extensive method development Part I provides a theoretical and practical background to potentiometry and Part II contams almost 400 pages of analytical methods for water analysts Separate chapters m Part I cover electrochemical prmnples, potentiometrrc mstrumentatton and methodology The theory of electrochemistry IS covered m sufliicent detail to allow the analyst to ~d~stand the practmal unportance of the prmcxples and relatio~hlps which affect acttvny, electrode ~~n~~s, liquid lunctton potent&, etc The fundamental basis of different types of ton-selectwe electrodes @SE) are described, but without a detailed explanation of the mechamsms of electrode response Similarly, the chapter concerned wtth mstrumentatton describes what can be achieved wtth modem potenhometnc equipment without labounng the techmcalmes In contrast, the authors have taken the trouble to pomt out the importance of estabbshmg the analytical vtahhty of a method and many readers will find the chapter on the statistical evaluation of data extremely helpful Many papers published on potentlometrtc analysis fat1 to give details of accuracy and precrs~on and omrt a dtscusston of errors The authors have trmd to compensate for those deficienues by provndmg a realistic mdicabon of the ~rfo~an~ of various types of electrodes when appbed m water analysts The value of the book to many readers wtll be the extensive notes on over 35 separate ISE appbcatlons gtven m Part II Not only are the apparatus, reagents and procedures described m adequate detail, but sources of error and electrode performance arc discussed, comments on the lifetime of electrodes, typical response ttmes and comparisons with other methods, where appropnate. The abzbty of potenttometry to provide low-cost measurements m field and laboratory apphcatrons, as well as m on-lme mo~to~ng, has made the ~~iq~ very important m water analysrs Mrdgley and Torrance have provided an up-to-date revtew of methods and procedures which IS clearly wrttten and easy to read Each chapter ts accompanred by a hst of references covermg developments up to 1990 Although the text does not contam all that many figures, it has numerous tables of useful mformatlon on electrochemcal data, electrode comparisons and analytical methods. There is also a list of manufacturers of potenttometrsz equipment Anyone interested m potentiometry or water analysis should obtam a copy of this book D LITTLEJOHN
Spcctrochclrcnl Andysis by Atomic Abmption ad F&don: El850 (softback) Pages xn + 242 ISBN O-851-86873-8
L. LAJUNENRoyal Soctety of Chemstry, Cambndge 1992
Thts book IS very timely, commg on the market, as it does, when the modem analytical atomic spectroscopies such as ICP-MS are becommg tIrmly estabhshed necessnating their mcluston wtth more than a passmg reference m our trammg courses Substanttal chapters deal with Theory of atomc spectroscopy, Atomrc absorptron, Plasma atomic emrsston, ICP-MS, Atomic fluorescence, Sample preparahon, wlnle some smaller chapters cover the Htstologtcal background and Compansons Plame emission is dtsrmssed m two stdes, so the book cannot be described as long-wmdedt The author’s practical experience comes over on many occasions through hts comments on the practical consequences and the relevance of thts or that aspect of theory and so on The author has included numerous diagrams, some his own,