AnaJyst, May, 1978 Book Reviews 525 LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY DETECTORS. By Pi. P. W. SCOTT. Journal of Chromatogvaphy Library, Volume 11. Pp. x + 248. Amsterdam, Oxford and New York: Elsevier. Distributed by Elsevier North-Holland in USA and Canada. The text of this volume is divided into four parts, covering the general characteristics of liquid- chromatographic detectors, descriptions of bulk and solute property detectors, and their selection and use. The means of detection covered include those of ultraviolet, fluorimetric, polarographic, heat of adsorption, spray impact, radioactivity, electron-capture, transport, dielectric constant, refractive index , electrical and thermal conductivity, density, interferometer, vapour pressure and gas density bridge. In addition, a complete chapter is devoted to spectroscopic detectors and includes descriptions of liquid chromatography - ultraviolet and liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry systems.The author discusses the properties of the detectors, their effect on the quality of the chromato- graphic separations and the precision of the analytical results obtained, descriptions being given for the measurement of these properties. One of the chapters deals solely with practical hints on their operation, while another covers the special techniques of the differential and integral modes of detection and the technique of “vacancy chromatography.” Over the last decade, there have been numerous publications on liquid chromatography in its various forms and at present there seems little lessening of this output.This particular volume has been written by an acknowledged expert in the field and, while some of the content has been covered adequately elsewhere, the book has something extra to offer. For example, there is an interesting description of the spray electrification effect employed as a detector, mainly for use with reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and the use of a rotating gauze disc carrier in a transport system. The total number of references given is about 120; the index is short but the contents pages are very helpful. Very few specific practical applications are included but the book nevertheless is likely to find its way into many industrial and college libraries. D. SIMPSON 1977. Price $34.50; Dfl84. The text is clear and easy to follow and understand.APPLICATIONS OF ION-SELECTIVE MEMBRANE ELECTRODES IN ORGANIC ANALYSIS. By GEORGE E. BAILESCU and VASILE V. COSOFRET. Pp. xii + 235. Chichester: Ellis Honvood. Distri- buted by John Wiley in Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, Canada, Europe and Africa and by Halsted Press in North and South America and the rest of the world. 1977. Price k16: $30.40. This is a readable and well organised monograph, consisting of a first part devoted to the main classes and principles of ion-selective electrodes as a base for the main part, over three-quarters of the text being devoted to the complete process of analysis of organic materials, from pre- treatment designed to render the sought species in a detectable form to the actual determination by ion-selective electrodes. It is devoted, as its title implies, to organic analysis per se and is not in any way concerned with determining inorganic ions such as calcium and potassium in body fluids.I t is very much con- cerned with determinations of substances such as glucose, urea, choline and its esters. Ways and means of rendering these in a form detectable by ion-selective electrodes are therefore an important part of the discussion. Thus, taking glucose as an example, attention is given to the enzyme-liberation process of hydrogen peroxide, which can then be determined by the depletion of iodide following its reaction with the peroxide, which is catalysed by molybdate ions. Along- side is discussed the alternative determination of the enzyme-liberated hydrogen peroxide by direct amperometry with a catalytic platinum electrode.The determination of bound halogens is accompanied by discussions of oxygen flask and com- bustion train techniques as a means of conversion into ionic forms. More routine determinations are frequently accompanied by discussions of automated methods employing ion-selective electrodes. There is a genuine attempt by the authors to be critical in approach but, of course, in this they are frequently bedevilled by the scantiness of detail of some literature presentations, especially with less common determinations such as that of tetraphenylarsonium ions. There are some deficiencies in the first part, for example, the range of electrodes depicted on526 BOOK. REVIEWS Analyst, Vol. 103 p. 4 is deceivingly restricted, but otherwise this serves as a good introduction to the newcomer to ion-selective electrode methods.The second part is easily accessible according to different readers' interests. The main chapter headings themselves provide adequate guide-lines but further subdivisions such as heterocyclic aromatic compounds into penicillins, uric acid and vitamins, and hydroxy compounds into alcohols, vicinal glycols and epoxy resins, make for real ease of reference to any part of the text. All in all, the book invites browsing and its good index and copious references (664 in all) make for further delving, but must the price be so high? J. D. R. THOMAS ENVIRONMENTAL N-NITROSO COMPOUNDS-ANALYSIS AND FORMATION. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOURTH WORKING CONFERENCE HELD [N TALLINN, ESTONIAN SSR, 1-3 OCTOBER 1975.Edited by E. A. WALKER, P. BOGOVSI~I and L. GRICIUTE. IARC Scientijk Publications, Number 14. Pp. xviii + 512. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Distributed by the World Health Organization. Available in the UK through HM Stationery Office. 1976. Price Swfr110; $45. The International Agency for Research on Cancer conducts a programme of research concentra- ting particularly on the epidemiology of cancer and the study of potential carcinogens in the human environment. This publication is a record of the papers presented a t the fourth biennial conference in 1975, organised by IARC, on the analysis and formation of N-nitroso compounds. It describes the advances that had been made at: that time in their identification and determination and reports on their formation and occurrence.Studies of this type demand reliable analytical techniques and several papers discuss the use of gas chromatography coupled with chemical ionisation - mass spectroscopy to identify and determine the very low levels of nitrosamines that may be significant. Non-volatile compounds pose another problem and various detection methods coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography have been investigated. Of particular interest to those concerned with the safety of food is an investigation into methods suitable for monitoring food supplies. This demands the cse of techniques available in the ordinary routine laboratory. It was concluded that a gas-chromatographic technique using a nitrogen oxide selective detector warranted further investigation, particularly into the catalytic cleavage of nitrosamines.Much detailed work is reported on the occurrence and formation in vivo and in vitro of nitrosamines. Of particular interest are invest gations undertaken in areas where an abnormally high incidence of oesophageal cancer is recorded. Detailed investigations of the nitrosamine contents of the food intake of typical families in the area were compared with controls. At the time of reporting, no significant differences had been discovered. This book is a fascinating account of the state of knowledge and the advances that had been made a t the time of the meeting a t which the papers were presented. Although it records many successes, the list of recommendations prepared by three sub-committees set up a t the conference indicates the vast amount of work that is still required in this field in order to establish the forma- tion and the role of these compounds in the study of cancer.This collection of papers is to be recommended not only to the reader intimately concerned with the subject, but also to those who are more generally concerned with the presence of minor impurities in foodstuffs. P. S. HALL BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF IMMOBILIZED E'NZYMES AND PROTEINS. Volume 2. Edited by THOMAS MING SWI CHANG. Pp. xx + 359. New York and London: Plenum. 1977. $47.40. This volume contains, as its first 14 chapters, the applications of immobilised enzymes in the biomedical fields of diagnostics and public health.While some are now well established (e.g., their use in automated and semi-automated analysis and in enzyme linked imniunosorbent assay), their application in the diagnosis of bacterial infections, parasitic diseases and in the field of virology are still fascinating and exciting. The future world of the enzyme-based sensor is foretold with chapters on enzyme electrodes (now commercially available) and the thermal enzyme probe. Using column antibody immobilisation technology, a strategy to exploit this to simplify and auto- mate radioimmunoassay is outlined that eliminates pipetting and centrifuging. This first part of the book is completed by suggestions of p0s:;ible applications of the volatile enzyme product method.May, 1978 BOOK REVIEWS 527 The last eight chapters, under the heading of “Perspectives,” are spectacularly novel and exciting with viewpoints from the physiologist, physicist, biochemist and chemist of future appli- cations of immobilized enzyme technology.I found intriguing the concept of mechanosensitive and sound-sensitive enzyme systems as chemical amplifiers of weak signals. The development of multi-step enzyme systems and recycling coenzyme-dependent immobilised enzyme systems is already feasible. Already the first nylon-tube enzyme supports reviewed in one of the chapters are on sale under the trade- name CATALINKS and can last for 4 000 analyses with negligible activity loss whiIe giving a useful life of 7 000 analyses. The potential of soluble cross-linked enzyme polymers for enzyme therapy mentioned in the book has yet to be fulfilled.However, this book should be read by clinical chemists, biochemists and physiologists and serves notice to instrument manufacturers that immobilised enzymes are no longer research toys but are, and will be, integral parts of modern instruments. Congratulations on an excellent book and one I highly recommend. Artificial organs and cells are realistic targets of the technology. S. A. BARKER NUCLEAR MICROANALYSIS. By VLADO VALKOVI~. Garland Reference Library of Science and Technology, Volume 10. Pp. xii + 415. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1977. Price $27. This book consists of five chapters, as follows: Fundamentals of Radioactivity (107 pp.) ; Nuclear Reactions (43 pp.) ; Charged Particle Activation Analysis (70 pp.) ; Neutron-activation Analysis (50 pp.) ; and Charged Particle Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (100 pp.).Theoretical aspects of the above topics are well described in a readable style. Practical matters are less evenly covered, except in the last chapter. Some applications are included, notably the determination of the elemental composition of fossil fuels. Chemical methods are scarcely mentioned, even in the section on neutron activation. In summary, this book will be useful for teachers wishing to up-date their knowledge of applied nuclear physics, and for research students interested in non-destructive analytical techniques. Chapter 5 on charged particle induced X-ray emission contains material not readily available elsewhere. H. J. M. BOWEN NOSH MANUAL OF ANALYTICAL METHODS.Second Edition. Volume 1. Part I. NIOSH MONITORING METHODS. Volumes 2 and 3. Part 11. STANDARDS COMPLETION PROGRAM VALIDATED METHODS. Volume 1, pp. xii + Methods P & CAM 102-262. Volume 2, pp. vi + Methods S1-134. Volume 3, pp. vi + Methods S135-391. Cincinatti, Ohio : U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 1977. By DAVID G. TAYLOR. Price $8.75, $9.75, $9 ($11, $12, $11.25 outside USA), respectively. DOCUMENTATION OF THE NIOSH VALIDATION TESTS. By DAVID G. TAYLOR, RICHARD E. KUPEL and JOHN M. BRYANT. Cincinatti, Ohio: U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering. 1977.Price $15.50 ($19.50 outside USA). In 1971, when occupational safety and health standards for some 400 chemical substances were adopted by the US Department of Labor, there were few analytical procedures for accurately monitoring the exposure of workers to such substances. Three years later the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a manual containing 39 analytical methods covering 130 of the toxic substances, and a 3-year programme was undertaken jointly by NIOSH and OSHA to produce properly evaluated methods for the remainder. The result is the current Second Edition of the manual, which now contains full details of 337 sampling and analytical methods for use in industrial hygiene environmental monitoring, covering various elements from aluminium to zirconium, inorganic compounds from arsine to zinc oxide, and organic compounds from acetic anhydride to xylidine.Some of the procedures are useful for measuring toxic constituents in blood, urine or body tissues, but most are intended for use in air exposure moni- toring. Part I (Volume 1) contains 110 methods developed by NIOSH or its contractors, each classified according to its reliability on a five-point scale (recommended, accepted, tentative, operational, Pp. xxx + Methods S1-385.528 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, Vol. 103 proposed). A box form at the beginning of each gives the basic data in a standard manner, e.g., analyte, matrix, range, precision, classification, date issued , date revised.The method format is also standardised and perhaps best illustrated simply by listing the main headings as they are used: 1, Principle of the Method; 2, Range and Sensitivity; 3, Interferences; 4, Precision and Accuracy; 5, Advantages and Disadvantages of the Method; 6, Apparatus; 7, Reagents; 8, Procedure ; 9, Calibration and Standards; 10, Calculations ; 11 , References. A new section has been included in the Second Edition: Part I1 (Volumes 2 and 3) includes 227 methods that were evaluated and validated for accuracy and precision in the joint NIOSH/OSHA Standards Completion Programme during 197‘4-76. These are class B (accepted methods), but have not been field tested. Last b u t by no means least is a fourth and even more massive tome entitled “Documentation of the NOSH Validation Tests.” This presents an introduction to the programme and the statistical protocol used but, more important :For the practising analyst, the data reports.These form the main bulk of the volume and give full detailed technical information to support the validation of 216 of the sampling and analytical methods. Taken as a whole, the prospect of dealing with 7 kg of printed paper seems daunting, but good indexing and a sensible format make it easy to lind one’s way through the mass of detailed informa- tion. It is certain that no analyst with a serious interest in the determination of contaminants in the working atmosphere would want to be without this compilation. The total price of about L25 is far outweighed by the benefits of having not only 337 assessed methods b u t also the back-up data on which the assessments of many of them were made.My one very minor criticism is that the volumes are in paperback, probably to keep the costs within bounds, and the quality of the binding does not augur well for the survival intact of what are likely to be well thumbed books. They follow the same standardised format as those in Part I. G. E. PENKETH THE DETERMINATION OF VINYL CHLORIDE. .A PLANT MANUAL. 3rd Edition. Edited by W. THAIN. Pp. vi + 156. London: Chemical Industries Association Limited. 1977. Price L20 (CIA members, j515). This book presents the considered views of a specialist committee of the Chemical Industries Association on the best analytical methods for the control of vinyl chloride concentrations in and around vinyl chloride monomer and poly(vin:yl chloride) manufacturing plants. The methods cover the analysis of spot samples, area monitoring and personal monitoring and a brief account is given of the philosophy of monitoring adopted by UK manufacturers. Each method is complete in itself and contains information that will enable the user to choose the most appropriate method for his application. A loose-leaf format has been used to facilitate updating, but this will only be of value if information is given as to the procedure for notifying and issuing of new or revised methods. In addition to the methods, the book contains a series of analytical notes containing information on various instruments that have been used in vinyl chloride measurement, useful calibration and sampling techniques and a list of vinyl chloride monomer monitoring services available in the UK. A considerable amount of effort was expended on method development for monitoring vinyl chloride and the Chemical Industries Association is to be congratulated on bringing together all this information in such a digestable form. The co-operation between various companies to solve common problems is a worthwhile exercise an.d it is to be hoped that it will continue in the production of manuals for other toxic compounds. J. CHARLTON