Analyst, Airgust 1996, Vol. I21 11SN Book Reviews Biosensor and Chemical Sensor Technology. Process Monitoring and Control Edited by Kim R. Rogers, Ashok Mulchandani and Weichang Zhou. ACS Symposium Series 613. Pp. xii + 188. ACS. 1995. Price $52.95. IBSN 0-841 2-3330-6. This book reflects the themes of two symposia sponsored by the Division of Biochemical Technology and the Biochemical Secretariat at the 209th National Meeting of the ACS in Anaheim on April 2-6, 1995. The main aim of this series is to provide a mechanism for publishing symposia quickly in book format, and to provide a ‘snapshot in time’ of a particular theme of chemistry. This volume is divided into two main sections, the first dealing with biosensor methods, and the second with the associated theme of bioprocess monitoring and control.In the first section there are articles dealing both with the common transducers used in biosensing, i.e., electrochemical, spectro- scopic and acoustic wave devices, and the biological recogni- tion molecules which provide the selectivity for the biosensors, i.e., enzymes, antibodies and nucleic acids. Much of this section of the volume is well known in the literature, but it is interesting to note the current interest in sensing mechanisms based on self- assembled layers and intercalation of nucleic acids. ‘The second section of the volume is prob- ably the more interesting, with chapters concentrating more on the application of biosensors for bioprocess monitoring. ’ The second section of the volume is probably the more interesting, with chapters concentrating more on the application of biosensors for bioprocess monitoring.Most scientists working in biosensor research will know of biosensor applica- tions in clinical monitoring, but will not know quite as much about their potential for monitoring fermentation processes and mammalian cell cultures. The chapters in this section also demonstrate the need to couple biosensor technology with flow analysis and feedback control, so that the process control systems developed can be readily automated. This dictates the analytical characteristics and constraints which those involved in developing novel transducers need to take account of in their research. The volume is reasonably inexpensive, and 1 would recommend it for purchase as a reference text by those institutions where research is being carried out in the areas of chemical sensorsbiosensors and biotechnology.Malcolm R. Smyth 6/9O032 A Dublin City University Chromatographic Methods. Fifth Edition By A. Braithwaite and F. J. Smith. Pp. xiv + 516. Blackie. 1996. Price €32.50. ISBN 0-7514-01 58-7. Much has happened in the last ten years in the field of separation science and in this new edition Braithwaite and Smith have considerably revised and expanded their well established textbook. It reflects a situation in which most of the main techniques of HPLC and open-tubular GC are now well established and are widely used. The book is aimed primarily at a student audience and unlike texts on individual chromatographic techniques seeks to provide a ‘unified account’ of the different methods.After a general overview, the authors examine the theory of the chromatographic separation method. This section is much improved from the previous edition, which suffered from numerous typographical errors, and I was pleased to see that the authors had adopted the 1993 IUPAC Chromatography Nomen- clature recommendations, although on occasions the typesetter had failed to italicise terms. However, a suggestion, that ‘Coulomb’s law (like attracts like)’ (,sic*) is a good starting point for chromatographic methods, is at odds with the correct description three lines later that opposite charges attract (whereas like charges repel). The next chapter covers planar methods and is followed by liquid chromatography on open columns, ending with flash chromatography. Gas chromatography starts by repeating much of the earlier theory, a technique designed to make each chapter self-contained but which seems to result in an unnecessary duplication of text and diagrams.The longest chapter is devoted to HPLC, covering normal, reversed-phase, ion-exchange and size exclusion chromatography. This is followed by a chapter on coupled detectors, primarily MS, and one on data systems and integration. The last two chapters describe, firstly, a number of typical laboratory exercises demonstrating the different chro- matographic methods, which may provide lecturers with a useful resource of practical experiments, and then a chapter of worked exercises as illustrative problems. The book ends with a glossary of chromatographic terms.Generally the coverage in the book is comprehensive and describes all the available methods and equipment, such as different detectors, rather than giving a detailed description of the major features. Coverage is mainly up to 1993 with a few 1995 references. Parts of the book feel old and the author5 have not been sufficiently ruthless with obsolete or dying methods. Paper chromatography is discussed in detail and in the GLC section SCOT columns and jet separators for GC-MS still feature. Part of the computing chapter still worries about interfxing and 8 bit ADC integrators. The weakest points in the book are in the coverage of new areas. The page and a half on supercritical fluid chromatography is misleading and often incorrect. Capillary electrophoresis suffers from being a rapidly developing field and almost anything would have been rapidly outdated but the authors were right to include it because of its potential for the future.Roger M . Smith 61900050 Loughhoi-ortgh Uiiivci-sity Aerosol Science for Industrial Hygienists By James H. Vincent. Pp. xvii + 412. Pergamon. 1995. Price $99.00; f62.00. ISBN 0-08-042029-X. ~~ - ~ _ _ ~ Possibly the earliest recorded effects of aerosols on hurnan health were the occupational pneumoconioses that were mentioned in ancient Greek literature. The removal of duct by filtration dates back to the Roman era. However it is only relatively recently that the role of aerosols has become a major focus of industrial hygiene. This book is therefore a welcome addition to introductory texts on aerosol science. What makes this book different from the others is that worker exposure is taken as the central concept.This recognises the hct that an individual’s own work activities are often a major source of aerosol contamination. The early chapters give an introduction to aerosol science as it relates to industrial health and to occupational hygiene. Topics covered include the physical properties of gase5, aerosol generation in the workplace, the motion of airborne particles116N Analyst, August 1996, Vol. I21 and the optical properties of aerosols. The determination of the health consequences of exposure to an aerosol requires an analysis of the inhalation and deposition within the human respiratory system. This is covered in the core of the book along with a description of health-related standards for aerosols and workplace sampling.Air sampling equipment has evolved over the past several decades in the direction of miniaturization and automation although the basic principles remain the same. This has not been limited to personal sampling equipment and more recently portable real-time instruments have been developed. The final chapters describe such instruments. LThese equations and examples will cer- tainly help students new to the field to gain a basic understanding of aerosol science. Whereas the author’s previous book ‘Aerosol Sampling: Science and Practice’, an excellent text on sampling principles, was aimed at the established researcher, this new book is targetted at graduate students, primarily with a background in the physical and life sciences.Readers will find that equations are given without lengthy scientific derivations and numerous worked examples appear throughout the book. These equations and examples will certainly help students new to the field to gain a basic understanding of aerosol science. Overall I would recommend this book, not only to its targetted audience, but also to the experienced researcher who should find numerous areas of interest therein. Ian Colbeck 5/90 I02 B University of Essex Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry in Pharmaceuti- cal Analysis By Sandor Gorog. Pp. 392. CRC Press. 1995. Price US $131.95 (USA); US $158.00 (Outside USA). ISBN 0-8493-869 1-8. The importance of UV/VIS spectrophotometry in pharmaceuti- cal analysis has diminished in recent years due to the increased emphasis on separative techniques, principally HPLC.The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated and this trend has been encouraged by the registration authorities. In Western Europe and the USA, UV is accepted as a niche technique suitable for tests such as in-process analysis, content uniformity. dissolution testing and (to an extent) the bulk assay for batch release of stable products. It has great importance as the detection method of choice for HPLC and an understanding of the technique is essential. This book is a partly updated English version of a Hungarian text published in 1994 and contains 10 chapters. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the current importance of the technique in general terms and mentions that many of the current applications are not nowadays published in Western analytical journals, which tend to favour more recent technol- ogy.Chapter 2 covers the theory of light absorption, the design of spectrophotometers and the measurement of spectra. Chapter 3 covers the relationship between structure and spectra, based on ‘rules of thumb’ for characteristic absorption wavelengths plus the effect of conjugation. Chapter 4 covers quantitative analysis, including methods to remove interferences or to determine analytes with overlapping spectra. The emphasis is on derivative UV and some of the older methods to remove interferences. There is a mention of regression techniques but not of the methods based on principal component analysis.Chapter 5 gives a brief description of spectrophotometry combined with chromatographic methods. Chapter 6 has general information on the development and validation of methods. Because of the date of publication it does not mention ICH guidelines for validation. Chapter 7 covers some of the principal reactions used in colorimetric determinations. Chapter 8 discusses difference methods where spectral shifts are induced by pH change or chemical reaction. LThis book contains much useful information but the content does not really have the correct balance to reflect the current role of U V / V I S spectrophotometry as practised in Western Europe. Chapter 9 discusses the manipulation of various matrices and the problems which they pose to the analyst.Within this chapter is a discussion on automation of methods, the major emphasis being given to Autoanalyzer methods though flow injection analysis is also discussed. Chapter 10 is an extensive (129 page) review of literature methods arranged by class of drug. There is a minor error in the classification of reactions with chloranil as charge transfer complexes but this does not detract from its value. This book contains much useful information but the content does not really have the correct balance to reflect the current role of UV/VIS spectrophotometry as practised in Western Europe. The most recent information is often given at the end of a section as an afterthought. A greater emphasis on UV coupled to separative techniques and on the more modern methods of data handling, both for stand-alone spectrophotometry and coupled techniques, would add to its value.This could usefully be at the expense of the information on colorimetric methods which would rarely be preferred to HPLC. In addition a better summary of the acceptability of the technique to regulatory authorities for different applications would help to set the context. R. Jones 61900251 Glum Wellcome Research and Development Dartford Chromatography for Inorganic Chemistry By Michael Lederer. Pp. 221. Wiley. 1994. Price f17.95. ISBN 0-471-94286-3 (paper). This book is to be highly recommended as an excellent introduction to inorganic chromatography. The style is lucid, it is eminently readable and the author’s enthusiasm permeates the material. Based on a practical lecture course of chromatography in inorganic chemistry, many carefully selected areas of aqueous inorganic interest are surveyed; the historical per- spective is indeed relevant as it guides the reader in directional developments.LThe style is lucid, it is eminently readable and the author’s enthusiasm permeates the material.’ Chapter 1 is a historical introduction of some ten pages and is adequately referenced. Chapter 2, dealing with solvent extrac- tion and the history of partition chromatography, contains thirteen relevant figures and four tables. Paper chromatography and thin layer chromatography are treated in Chapter 3. Quite extensive data of RF values of inorganic ions in butanol mixtures are provided. Interesting applications are detailed in the areas of geochemical prospecting, preparation of carrier-free tracers in radiochemistry , synthesis of coordination compounds and preparative separations.Chapter 4 (thirty pages) concerns electrophoresis in terms of low voltage paper, continuous, highAnalyst, August 1996, Vol. 121 117N voltage, cross, gel and in fused salts. Isoelectricfocussing, isotachophoresis, capillary zone and high performance paper electrophoresis are covered. In a brief Chapter 5, Gel Filtration, the biological implications of ingestion of saturated solutions of silicates is highlighted. Ion exchange is treated in Chapter 6 (thirty two pages), gas chromatography in Chapter 7 (seven pages) and separation of isotopes in Chapter 8 (seven pages). An important topical area, the separation of optical isomers, is discussed in Chapter 9 (eleven pages).Chapter 12 (fifty seven pages) targets selected elements and their chromatography and electrophoresis. A catholic selection is provided involving boron, condensed phosphates, sulfur compounds, halogen acids, rhenium and technetium, ruth- enium, rhodium, the rare earths, polonium and protactinium. An adequate index (three pages) is given. I feel that this scholarly volume cannot fail to stimulate the reader and is invaluable reading for postgraduate students. The essence is in the practicality and ‘real-time’ application. The last paragraph of this book is enigmatic! W. K. Glass 4190089H University College Dublin Ireland Focus on BiopesticidesPLUS, new for 1996, monitors the use of natural organisms, their genes and their secondary metabolites in crop protection.The newsletter is edited by Len Copping, who is well- known for his work in this area. Product, company and market news are brought together each month in an easy-to-read format with valuable analysis and comment. Focus on BiopesticidesPLUS will be essential reading for all those working in the sector. With Focus on BiopesticidesPLUS you can: scan ALL the relevant news in one place gain information vital to your business be alerted t o news you would otherwise miss keep up with legislation and environmental concerns read about forthcoming conferences and key events Subscribe to Focus on BiopesticidesPLUS and stay in touch with this developing sector! A FREE sample issue is available now. To claim your copy, simply complete and return the slip below.------------I-------______I_____________----- Please send me a FREE sample issue of Focus on BiopesticidesPLUS Name ....................................................................... Position .................................................................... 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THE ROYAL Return to: SOCIETY OF Alison Hey, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 4WF, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 420066 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 423429 TOLL FREE (US only): 1-800-473 9234 C W T w && Information ServicesROYAL AUSTRALIAN CHEMICAL INSTITUTE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE v XXX COLLOQUIUM SPECTROSCOPICUM INTERNATIONALE World Congress Centre, Melbourne, Australia, September 21st126th, 1997 Participants are invited to submit contributions for presentation on the following topics; Theory, Techniques and Instrumentation of :- Atomic Spectroscopy (Emission, Absorption, Fluorescence) Computer Applications and Chemometrics Electron Spectroscopy Gamma Spectroscopy Laser Spectroscopy Luminescence Spectroscopy Mass Spectrometry (Inorganic and Organic) Methods of Surface Analysis and Depth Profiling UVNisible Spectroscopy NIR Spectroscopy IR Spectroscopy Mossbauer Spectroscopy Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry Photoacoustic and Photothermal Spectroscopy Raman Spectroscopy X-Ray Spectroscopy Applications of Spectroscopy to the Analysis of :- Biological and Environmental Samples Food and Agricultural Products Metals, Alloys and Geological Materials Industrial Processes and Products Plenary and Invited Speakers To date the following eminent spectroscopists have accepted invitations to present keynote lectures; Freddy Adams Belgium Mike Adams UK Mike Blades Canada John Chalmers UK Bruce Chase USA Peter Fredericks Australia Manfred Grasserbauer Austria Mike Gross USA Mike Guilhaus Australia Peter Hannaford Australia Gary Hieftje USA Kazuhiro Imai Japan Hiroshi Masuhara Japan Andrew Zander Russell McLean Jean-Michel Mermet Caroline Mountford Nicolo Omenetto Mike Ramsey Alfred0 Sanz Medel Margaret S heil Heinz Siesler Richard Snook Yngvar Thomassen Bernhard Welz John Williams Barry Sharp USA Australia France Australia IdY USA Spain UK Australia Germany UK Norway Germany UK In connection with the XXX CSI a number of pre-symposia will be organised, the conference will feature an exhibition of the latest spectroscopic instrumentation and associated equipment.Social Programme The scientific programme will be punctuated with memorable social events and excursions of scientific, cultural and tourist interest. The social programme is open to all participants and accompanying persons. sponsors As at August 1995, the following companies have agreed to be major sponsors of XXX CSI 1997; GBC, Hewlett-Packard, Perkin Elmer and Varian For further information contact - Secretary Mr P.L. Larkins CSIRO Division of Materials Science & Technology Private Bag 33, Rosebank MDC, Clayton VIC 3169 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 3 95422003 Facsimile: +61 3 95441 128 E-mail: larkins@rivett.mst.csiro.au Conference Secretariat The Meeting Planners 108 Church Street, Hawthorn VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 3 98193700 Facsimile: +61 3 98195978 Updated information may be obtained from the XXX CSI homepage on the World Wide Web at : http://w w w.latro be. edu. au/CSIcon.XXXCSI. html QANTAS has been appointed the sole official carrier to the XXX CSI 1997. When making QANTAS reservations please quote JIF 734. The Analyst and JAAS have been appointed as the official journals for publications resulting from CSI ‘97. Authors are encouraged to bring their manuscripts to the conference.