Analyst, June 1996, Val. 121 73N Book and Software Reviews ICP Softbook By Cognitive Solutions Ltd. Revised and Updated January 1995. Price f295.00 (plus VAT); US$529.00. The value of computer assisted learning is a matter of great debate in the educational world and it is not clear what the real advantages and disadvantages of this mode of study are. Views vary from dread to total commitment and so to give this particular product a fair chance, it was put to the consumers to evaluate and this review is a summary of the feedback from a group of some 25 undergraduate and M.Sc. Analytical Science students who had all attended traditional lectures on atomic spectroscopy. There was unanimous agreement that the soft- ware was easy to use if a little patronizing in places. However, one disadvantage of being user friendly was that students became bored or unchallenged after a short period of time- apologies to the authors, you can’t win this one.On a practical level, the lack of an index or the option to jump into the book at will rather than having to page through it was considered to be a drawback, once the user got the hang of software. There are also one or two notable scientific errors in the text which can lead to confusion. On a positive note the level of material is good for undergraduate and M.Sc. level teaching and well suited to private remedial study and revision. The most striking aspect of the softbook is the ability to have dynamic graphics and the visual diagrammatic features were very popular with students. ‘graphics are a significant advantage of this mode of learning’ As an addition to traditional texts, the softbook is user friendly and requires approximately 1-2 hours to comfortably work through.It is not ideal for browsing, but the graphics are a significant advantage of this mode of learning. The softbook is rather expensive and possibly an important factor when considering the real practical and educational value of computer based learning. Potential users are advised to consider carefully the real advantages of using this type of material before purchase and should certainly obtain a preview copy. S . J . Huswell 5i90075A University of Hull GC Softbook By Cognitive Solutions Ltd. Revised and Updated, January 1995. Price f295.00 (plus VAT); US$529.00. When I was asked to examine and review a computer based learning package called GC Softbook provided by Cognitive Solutions Ltd.I must admit to being less than 100% enthu- siastic. Frankly I don’t like computer based learning packages because I have found them to be too basic, too simple and never as ‘user friendly’ as the advanced publicity claims. In short they may be a good method for the efficient conveyance of information but they are a poor substitute for good face-to-face communication. I did not immediately rush to my computer to try the package. The following weeks witnessed a war of attrition between myself and my wife. She constantly saying that I should ‘sit down and do something about it’, and I producing a range of avoidance excuses culminating in the coining of the immortal phrase ‘not tonight dear-my hard disc is full’.Eventually events overtook me and, whilst I was away working, my wife loaded the package on the computer and began to work her way through it. Her initial response was so positive that I sat down to have a look myself. Not long afterwards I realised that here, at last, was a software package produced for teachers by people who knew what they were doing. Firstly, there is a lot of detail present and the subject is really comprehensively covered. Secondly the structure of the package is well presented and logical-rather like a good book in fact. To a large extent browsing is possible so a student can switch between sections to clarify their own thoughts and make comparisons. Thirdly the diagrams are clear yet detailed and, occasionally, animated.I found this particularly attractive in the injection techniques section because students seldom think about what happens in an injection port and those that do have difficulty in envisioning what happens when the sample is introduced. Not everything is perfect however. The first section of the chapter on injection techniques deals with split injections, yet appears to have no heading, unlike subsequent sections which are clearly defined so the student is forced to think about the differences. Also the section on split injections should be re- written in a way which presents split injection as a process which is variable not fixed. As it stands the student receives the impression that a 1OO:l split ratio is mandatory-it is not! Another well presented, and hence enjoyable, chapter was that dealing with detectors and I was especially pleased to see the atomic emission detector (AED) receiving the attention it is due.I will hazard a guess that in ten years time the AED will have consigned several of the selective detectors to the Science Museum. ‘Give this one a try.’ To summarize therefore I may not (yet) be a convert to computer based learning packages but the GC Softbook preaches a powerful sermon. I actually enjoyed using it, and its potential use in teaching support is clear. It will not replace the truly interactive teaching that is represented by an experienced and enthusiastic lecturer, but it will provide excellent tutorial support and distance learning material. Perhaps the highest accolade however came from my wife who wished that she had had access to this package when trying to explain gas chromatography to first year undergraduates recently.In such circumstances a good support package is invaluable. Give this one a try. M . Cooke 51900726 Sheffield Hallarn University General Principles of Good Sampling Practice By Neil T. Crosby and lndu Patel. Pp. x + 68. The Royal Society of Chemistry. 1995. Price €17.50. ISBN 0-85404-41 2-4. This slim, but useful, volume was prepared under the auspices of the UK Department of Trade and Industry Valid Analytical Measurement Initiative by two members of staff from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. It can be especially recommended to analytical chemistry students as an introduc- tion to sampling, and to those who have lead sheltered lives, perhaps in academic institutions, who suddenly need to analyse real-world environmental (in the broadest sense) or industrial samples.It might also benefit some supposedly more experi- enced practitioners of analysis. The book is a readable and concise account of how to deal safely with samples that are74N Analyst, June 2996, Vol. 122 hazardous, bulky, or dynamic, and covers all stages from planning a sampling strategy, through to sampling devices and their safe use, to preservation, preparation and subsampling. The contents should be readily understandable even by those with a very limited background in chemistry. ‘a readable and concise account of how to deal safely with samples that are hazardous, bulky, or dynamic’ The presentation is generally attractively clear.However, samplers are notoriously difficult to represent in simple line diagrams, and one or two of the sketches rather stretched my imagination. A useful 83-reference bibliography is included for those needing supplementary reading, but there is no index, presumably because the authors thought this unnecessary in such a short text. While the coverage is generally adequate, there are con- spicuous gaps. Biological materials, or at least biological materials prior to their becoming animal feeds or human food, are almost totally ignored. So if you’re about to head for a forest or moorland site to sample, this is not the book for you! But apart from the gaps, this is a useful and welcome addition to the literature.Malcolm Cresser 5190088C University of Aberdeen Protozoan Parasites and Water Edited by W. B. Betts, D. Casemore, C. Fricker, H. Smith and J. Watkins. Pp. x + 260. Royal Society of Chemistry. 1995. Price €49.50. ISBN 0-85404-755-7. Since the late 1980’s, general awareness of waterborne protozoan parasites has increased dramatically and as a consequence of this, a definite need for an extensive and in depth look at this diverse topic and how such parasites affect public health, locally, nationally and internationally has devel- oped. The contributions in this book were made by delegates attending an international conference entitled ‘Protozoan para- sites and water’ held at York University in September 1994. The influence that protozoan parasites have had and continue to have on the development of drinking water technology, public perception and awareness of drinking water supplies and basic public health protection strategies has been immense and this text provides a comprehensive overview of the subject.It incorporates an easy balance of papers covering a range of topic areas, from an historical perspective of the protozoa to ‘state of the art’ reporting of technological developments in drinking water treatment . The book is divided into related subject parts, each containing a broad range of topic areas, making it relatively straightforward to pin point the information required but at the same time enabling a complete overview to be presented. However, being a collection of independent papers, cross referencing of data between parts is neither prompted or straight forward, unless the reader is familar with the topics.Each part is composed of a range of technical, experimental and theoretical papers, which ultimately provides a balanced view of the subject area from different perspectives. Each chapter is divided into clear sections which makes for easy reading, and with most papers being backed up by a reasonably up-to-date and comprehensive bibliography, there is always further information to be explored. Overall, the figures and tables are clear and usually self explanatory. Because of the quality of technical data presented, e.g., optimization of recovery, analysis and visualization of Cryptosporidium oocysts, this text may be easily used as a methodological laboratory guide.The focus of the book is very much on Cryptosporidium and Giardia, and, despite the fact that other protozoan parasites are mentioned, it seems almost in passing, with only 5 out of 54 papers dealing with subjects other than Cryptosporidium or Giardia. Consequently, the overall emphasis of the book, in relation to the title, seems a little misleading. This lack of balance however is obviously a reflection of the quantity and focus of the work being carried out in the experimental scenario. ‘an interesting and explanatory text on the overall subject but also a detailed practical guide on specific issues. No research labo- ratory or reference library should be without a copy.’ In summary, as an overall text on the subject of protozoan parasites and water, these proceedings provide a substantial amount of information contained within a comprehensive text in which leading experts in the field cover each topic area.This volume could provide not only an interesting and explanatory text on the overall subject but also a detailed practical guide on specific issues. No research laboratory or reference library should be without a copy. P. Towlson 51900820 Department of Health, London Airborne Particulate Matter Edited by T. Kouimtzis and C. Samara. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. Volume 4. Part 0. Pp. x + 340. Springer-Verlag. 1995. Price DM198.00; f86.00; oS1544.40; sFr187.00. ISBN 3-540-58932-5. The publication of this latest volume in The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry is particularly timely.Recent epi- demiological research on the health effects of exposure to airborne particles has shown consistent subtle effects which have already led the UK government to adopt a strict air quality standard for the particle fraction known as PMlo, and the USEPA is currently considering setting a standard for PM2.5. Much remains to be done in health effects research on airborne particles as the current links with morbidity and mortality are purely statistical, and there is at present no proven biological mechanism of effect. Equally, there are major gaps in knowledge of the physics and chemistry of airborne particulate matter, but this book makes a useful contribution in reviewing some of the currently available knowledge in this area. The editors have assembled some 1 1 chapters dealing with different aspects of airborne particulate matter, from sources, through ‘an excellent overview of many aspects of the physics and chemistry of atmospheric par- ticles ’ sampling and chemical analysis, to emissions control technolo- gies.Individual chapters deal with, particle emissions, in situ particle formation and reactions, sources, size distributions and transport, physical, chemical and optical properties, chemical mass balance, sampling, inorganic analysis, measurement of acidic particles and gases, organic analysis, particle counting and size analysis and emission control. The chapters are of variable length and hence depth of detail. In most cases, the chapters are authored by well known figures in the field whoAnalyst, June 1996, Vol.121 75N write authoritatively over their particular subject area. There has been no obvious attempt to edit the material to remove the many overlaps within it, although overall, these are not a major detraction from the quality of the book, and could be argued as a positive feature as each chapter is a fairly self-contained account which can be read without reference to the others. The level of treatment is generally quite advanced and this is a book clearly aimed at the research community, and generally accessible only to readers with a fairly strong background in the field. The assembled information gives an excellent overview of many aspects of the physics and chemistry of atmospheric particles, and will prove an excellent reference book for workers in this field.There are omissions; for example, whilst there is a chapter upon Chemical Mass Balance, there is no detailed discussion of the other receptor modelling techniques which have been widely applied in aerosol source apportionment. Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly useful book which will find its way into many libraries in research institutions. Roy M . Harrison 5i90083B University of Birmingham Handbook of Size Exclusion Chromatography Edited by Chi-san Wu. Chromatographic Science Series. Volume 69. Pp. viii + 454. Marcel Dekker. 1995. Price $175.00. ISBN 0-8247-9288-2. In spite of the emergence of a number of new methods in separation science, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), often referred to as gel-permeation chromatography, remains the method of choice for the determination of the molecular weight distribution of polymers.This collection of reviews sets out recent advances in a number of SEC areas, with particular emphasis on applications. ‘This collection of reviews sets out recent advances in a number of SEC areas, with particular emphasis on applications.’ The book comprises 17 chapters, with a total of 28 authors, all but 5 from the USA. E. G. Malawer contributes an introductory chapter, which is followed by two chapters on recent develop- ments in column packings by E. Meehan (semi-rigid polymer gels), and R. Eksteen and K. J. Pardue (silica-based materials); C. Jackson and H. G. Barth then summarize the use of molecular weight sensitive (viscometric and light-scattering) detectors in SEC.The remaining 17 chapters describe a wide variety of applications of SEC to different polymer types, with an approximately equal division between reviews concerned with natural and synthetic polymers. Included in the former are cellulose and cellulose derivatives, natural rubber, lignin derivatives, starch, proteins, nucleic acids, and unusually (although SEC analysis here presents formidable problems) asphalts. Examples of SEC of synthetic polymers for which progress has recently rapidly advanced are polyamides, pol yes- ten, fluoropolymers, polyacrylamides (PAM), synthetic rub- bers, polyvinylalcohol (PVA), polyvinylacetate, and vinylpyr- rolidone polymers. There is special emphasis on the SEC of co-polymers, with a whole chapter by A. Rudin devoted to this topic; aqueous SEC of synthetic polymers, e.g., PAM and PVA and of natural polymers is given deserved emphasis.Careful editing has ensured a pleasing uniformity of style and presentation, and there is an adequate index. This well-written and informative book belongs on the shelves of all practitioners of SEC. Keith D. Bartle 5190012C University of Leeds Chemometrics: Experimental Design By Ed Morgan. Analytical Chemistry by Open Learning. Pp. xviii + 276. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. 1995. Price f 19.50. ISBN 0-471-95832-8. This book is one in the Analytical Chemistry by Open Learning (ACOL) series of texts and so it is somewhat different from standard textbooks. The scope of the book is ‘Experimental Design’ and it is split into 5 main sections. The first is an overview of basic statistics, covering errors and significance testing and ANOVA, all of which are important in experimental design.The second section introduces the basics of design, especially randomization, replication and blocking as well as some simple experimental designs. Part three covers factorial designs while the fourth section covers briefly fractional factorials and the final section covers response surface method- ology and central composite designs. The scope of the book is very good. The reader will get a full grounding in experimental design; it is well written and easy to read with many useful examples. In the areas of maths and chemistry working through ‘The reader will get a full grounding in experimental design; it is well written and easy to read with many useful examples.’ problems and theory is very important and ample good examples are provided.The statistics section is very clear and will serve well as a referesher. The randomization and blocking section (which includes ANOVA) is well balanced and clear. The final section of the book also includes a brief refresher of matrix maths which is very welcome in this text. Sections three and four cover factorial and fractional designs, a topic which students do find challenging, especially the calculation of effects and interactions. This is dealt with thoroughly, showing both commonly used methods for calculation and for displaying graphically the design responses. Section five is the most complex part of the book, with a great deal of detail on the mechanics of response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD). The level of detail is useful to give a good understanding of RSM and CCD, but I think that students might find this a somewhat difficult chapter to get to grips with; it is easy to lose sight of the aims because of the maths.On balance this is a good text for the undergraduate or masters student studying analytical chemistry; it is reasonably priced and well produced. A. D. Walmsley 5190059 J University of Hull ~ ~~~~ Capillary Electrophoresis Guidebook. Principles, Opera- tion, and Applications Edited by Kevin D. Altria. Methods in Molecular Biology. Volume 52. Pp. ix + 350. Humana Press. 1995, Price $74.50; f49.00. ISBN 0-89603-31 5-5. ~ ~~~~ Volume 52 in the Methods in Molecular Biology Series, as the title suggests, is not a standard text on a relatively new analytical technique.It comprises two separate sections. Part I is indeed a guidebook in which the editor and principal author has recorded his obvious expertise in the practical use of capillary electrophoresis (CE). In Part I1 he has used his knowledge of this rapidly developing field to compile a collection of contributions from other international scientists who are expert in specific areas of the general field of CE. Part I is a very practically oriented account of basic operating procedures to obtain separation and quantitation using modem76N Analyst, June 1996, Vol. 121 electrophoretic techniques. It consists of 1 1 fairly short chapters by the editor. These cover basic theory of CE, commercial equipment design and aspects of separation and quantitation.The chapters on optimisation of precision and sensitivity will be of particular interest to chromatographers dealing as they do with the perceived limitations of CE compared with LC. AIso of interest is the chapter on method validation which outlines validation procedures for several types of drug assay. Part I concludes with chapters on fraction collection, trouble shooting and a very quick guide to good instrument practice. All of the topics in this first section of the text are designed to help the reader to get practical results. Many of the chapters are generously illustrated with flow charts which allow the application of basic theory in a practical context. Quantitation methods are explained in detail and, while many are those encountered and employed generally in drug analysis, it is useful to have these discussed for CE where the factors affecting peak area differ from those in LC.Part I1 is more conventional in that it consists of individual chapters dealing with particular techniques or applications involving CE. Micellar electrochemical chromatography, capil- lary gel electrophoresis and chiral separations all receive individual chapters. There is a chapter devoted to capillary electrochromatography which, although brief, reviews some of the theoretical aspects and also assesses the practical problems associated with this embryonic technique. The chapter on sample stacking deals with the concentration sensitivity limits of CE and explains the principles and consequences of on- column sample concentration by transient isotachophoresis and field amplification.There are application chapters on bases including nucleosides and oligonucleotides, the separation of peptides and protein digests and a separate chapter on pharmaceutical analysis in which impurity determinations, main component assays and chiral analysis are reviewed. This section concludes with a general chapter on applications in various diverse fields which illustrates the breadth of applica- tion of CE as a separation method. This text is very well referenced and will provide a valuable source of literature information channelled into specific areas. The book is modern and several chapters contain notes added in proof which add to the topicality and thus usefulness of the material.It will be helpful to separation scientists who are convinced of the merits of LC and who wish to assess CE for themselves. It will also be an invaluable aid for students who wish to obtain an overview of, as the editor describes it, ‘the wonderful world of CE’. R . B . Taylor 5190097B Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Chemometrics in Environmental Chemistry. Applica- tions Edited by J. Einax. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. Volume 2. Part H. Pp. vii + 346. Springer- Verlag. 1995. Price DM 198.00; f86.00. ISBN 3-540-58943-0. If you are an environmental scientist who deals with multi- variate data sets then this book is worth reading. Despite the disparate nature of the subject covered in each chapter the common theme of chemometrics ties the whole volume into a coherent text book.This book forms a sub-volume of Volume 2 of what appears to be a continually evolving handbook of three volumes on environmental chemistry. Volume 2 is broadly based on reactions and processes in the environment. This sub-volume (2H-Applications) along with a sister sub-volume (2G- Statistical Methods, not reviewed here) are concerned with the use of chemometrics in environmental applications. The stated aims of the editor of the volume are to describe basic principles of modem chemometric methods applied to representative problems of environmental chemistry and, in doing so, to arouse the interest of the environmental scientist not yet concerned with applying statistical and mathematical methods to his own field of work.These objectives appear to have been achieved. ‘If you are an environmental scientist who deals with multivariate data sets then this book is worth reading.’ The book is divided into nine chapters each written by an expert author. Chapters 1 and 2 look at applications for organising and extracting data from large data sets, namely library search methods for spectral data of organic compounds and pattern recognition for classification and identification of organic compounds from mass spectra. The following three chapters give specific examples of how chemometric methods can be adapted to the solution of specific problems of resolving mixtures and identifying sources in airborne particulate analy- sis; finding solutions to important geochemical problems in petroleum geochemistry; modelling quantitative structure activ- ity and structure property relationships as the basis for the assessment of potential damage to the ecosphere and/or human beings.The problems of validating analytical methods, the evaluation of performance of laboratories involved in environ- mental analysis, the management of data related to statistical processing and quality control and the use of laboratory management information systems are addressed in the next three chapters. Finally, the last chapter gives an overview of automated analysis for the monitoring of water quality. Considering the wide range of the contributions to this volume, the editor has managed to put together a sensible and logical structure, apart from the last chapter which is related to water quality monitoring.This seems to have rather tenuous links to chemometrics and seems out of place compared to the other contributions. Each of the chapters is a very detailed account of its subject with a very comprehensive list of references. The level of detail is such that it could not be read from cover-to-cover and the reader needs to have some basic knowledge of chemometric methods to make the most of the information. However, as a book to dip into in order to look at a specific technique, the detail and background make it an excellent reference volume. Although the areas covered are quite diverse the examples are explained in enough detail to allow the reader to see how the solution to the problems described can relate to their own applications.Mark Cave 5190080H British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham ~ Advances in Electrochemical Science and Engineering. Volume 4 Edited by Heinz Gerischer and Charles W. Tobias. Pp. v i + 430. VCH. 1995. Price DM248.00. ISBN 3-527-29205-5. This volume contains six chapters which address challenging problems in a variety of areas in both fundamental and applied electrochemistry. The first three chapters are mainly concerned with the study of electrochemical reactions occurring at surfaces. The first of these deals with scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) of semiconductor electrodes. STM is now a powerful tool in surface science, and when operated in the form77N Analyst, June 1996, Vol. 121 ~~ ‘this volume is a good addition to this rela- tively new series on electrochemical science and engineering9 of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), can provide important information on fast heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions and processes occurring at electrode surfaces.The second chapter then deals with the specific subject of the surface chemistry of silicon in fluoride electrolytes. This has important applications in the areas of microelectronics, sensors and photocatalysis, but is again a subject which has benefitted greatly from spectroscopic and microscopic techniques which can probe surfaces on an atomistic scale. This theme is again taken up in chapter three which shows how FTIR spectroscopy can be used in situ to characterize the metal-electrolyte interface at a molecular level, using examples such as the adsorption of carbon monoxide, alcohols, pseudohalide ions and oxyanions at a variety of electrode surfaces. The next two chapters then deal with electrochemical reactions in non-aqueous and mixed solvents and at phase boundaries. Although these are written from a fundamental electrochemistry viewpoint, the informa- tion provided would have some relevance for electroanalytical chemists interested in areas such as organic-phase enzyme electrodes and sensors. The final chapter then discusses electrolytic processes for pollution treatment and pollution prevention. All the chapters have been written by well renowned scientists in their respective fields. Because of the range of topics covered, however, I can only really recommend the book for purchase by libraries of institutions where a good deal of fundamental or applied electrochemistry is being carried out. For the practising analytical (electro)chemist, the book is probably too specialized. Nevertheless, this volume is a good addition to this relatively new series on electrochemical science and engineering, and a worthy tribute to one of its editors in particular, Prof. Heinz Gerischer, who passed away shortly after completing his editorial work on it. Malcolm R. Smyth 51900 78F Dublin City University