JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY FEBRUARY 199 I VOL. 6 5 Book Reviews Flow Injection Atomic Spectroscopy Edited by Luis Burguera. Practical Spec- troscopy (Volume 7). Pp. xii + 353. Marcel Dekker. 1989. Price $125.00. ISBN 0 8247 8059 0. The combination of flow injection (FI) techniques with atomic spectrometric measurement is clearly an area of con- siderable research interest at present. The appearance of a book devoted solely to this combination is indicative of a certain degree of maturity and supports the notion that the flow injection atomic spectrometry (FI-AS) combination has something more to offer than just a slight- ly more precise procedure for discrete nebulization. The scope of the FI-AS combination is well illustrated in the later chapters of this book which cover appli- cations to real analytical problems (in the clinical environmental and agricultural areas) as well as a range of on-line chemi- cal modification to analytes and matrix.The book contains eight contributed chapters by some of the leading workers in the field of FI-AS. A short ‘general in- troduction’ to both analysis by FT and FI- AS by Kent Stewart is followed by an ex- cellent treatment of the ‘theoretical aspects’ by Willem Van der Linden. The first part of this chapter is concerned with topics of relevance to FI in general and following a brief discussion of aspects of impulse response theory relevant to atomic spectrometric detectors concludes with some critical remarks concerning the possible benefits of scaling down which are severely limited by the detector char- acteristics.Jacobus van Staden then deals with the ‘basic components and automa- tion’ before Zhaolun Fang introduces ‘analytical methods and techniques’. This is a comprehensive chapter covering aspects of sample introduction on-line di- lution addition of reagents calibration methods indirect methods hydride and mercury vapour generation sequential and simultaneous determinations. The only topic not covered is liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction and these6 topics together with continuous precipi- tation are covered by Miguel Valcarcel and Mercedes Gallego in the following chapter. This is also a comprehensive chapter covering most practical aspects of on-line separation and pre- concentration. The first of the two chap- ters on applications contributed by Elias Zagatto Francisco Krug Henrique Ber- gamin and Soren Jorgensen deals with agricultural and environmental analysis.This chapter also contains some discus- sion of basic features of FI-AS and there is some overlap with earlier chapters. The real samples considered are plants waters rocks and soil extracts. Proce- dures relevant to clinical analysis are dis- cussed by Roy Sherwood and Bernard Rocks. This chapter briefly introduces the use of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in clinical analysis before survey- ing the literature for each clinically rele- vant element or pair of elements The authors then discuss the problems asso- ciated with the use of injection valves; the volume required to flush the previous sample out of the loop and connecting tubing and the eventual leakage produced by wear from salt build-up. A discussion of the valveless controlled dispersion ana- lysis follows.The chapter concludes with some specialized applications including FI electrothermal atomization and chro- matography-AAS. The final chapter by Marcela Burguera Jose Burguera and Gilbert Pacey concerns current trends. These authors also try to peer into the future to a certain extent. One of the ap- pendices is a comprehensive listing of FI- AS references. The only real criticism that can be lev- elled at this book is that it took too long to produce. Although the publication date is 1989 the material surveyed for the basis of the book includes papers pub- lished only up to 1986. Not all of the 1986 references are included. In the period 1986-1989 inclusive over 170 publications on FI-AS appeared whereas the total since 1979 is just over 280.Many of the chapters are thus seriously out of date already. Julian F. Tyson University of Massachusetts Amherst MA USA Milk Ongoing Activities and Future Aspects. Annali dell’ Istituto Superiore di Sanita Volume 26 Edited by S. Caroli E. Coni and E. Sabbi- oni. Pp. iv + 109-175. 1990. Price 22.000 Italian Lira; $20. ISSN 002 1 257 1. Few people would agree that breast milk is not the ideal food for young babies or that breast feeding should be discouraged. The high nutritional content of breast milk complemented by protective mater- nal antibodies offers a feeding medium which is far superior (and more conve- nient) than any substitute.Not only is it the most natural of food but it is also subject to complex physiological modifications so that changes in compo- sition are produced to match the require- ments and demands of the growth and development of the infant. It is difficult to concede therefore that breast milk may not be perfect and it could even be harmful. However one recent report showed that breast milk from a mother who had been given gold to treat her arthritis contained substantial amounts of this metal and that some was present in the baby’s blood (Brit. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1990 29 777). If elements such as gold can be secreted in breast milk then what else might be present to reduce the quality of this food and what are the risks to breast-fed babies when mothers are exposed to other.potentially harmful factors? The reports in this issue of Ann. 1st. Super. Sanita describe the work of groups whose common objectives are to obtain accurate information concerned with the normal content of inorganic and organic components in milk and the impact of maternal exposure from various sources on the composition of breast milk. With just seven short papers the scope of this publication is limited to items that will be of very topical interest. Thus while it is reassuring to discover that radioactivity in samples collected from Italian women in 1986-1987 showed only very small changes in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident no comparative data relating to other European countries are included. It is the levels of fat-soluble persistent organochlorine pesticides that give the greatest cause for concern and a compre- hensive WHO study of specimens from many countries demonstrates higher than recommended intakes of these com- pounds.It is apparent that were it not for the relatively short period of exposure as- sociated with breast feeding positive in- tervention would be necessary to prevent the appearance of adverse health effects. Therapeutic and environmental expo- sures to antibiotics are considered togeth- er with an account of the normal protein lipid and trace element composition of human milk and infant formulas. While it is concluded still that ‘breast is best’ there is sufficient evidence presented in this short collection to suggest that we should continue to be vigilant in the future.Andrew Taylor Rohens Institute University of Surrey G~ildford UK Handbook of Furnace Atomic Absorp- tion Spectroscopy Asha Varma. Pp. 428. Wolfe Publishing. 1990. Price E156. ISBN 0 8493 3243 5 . JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY FEBRUARY 1991 VOL. 6 Royal Infirmary Glasgow UK I found this handbook disappointing. Dr. Varma had a best-seller with her previous book ‘CRC Handbook of Atomic Absorp- tion Analysis’ published in 1984 and pre- sumably was hoping for a similar success with this book. The handbook contains an introductory section on graphite furnace atomic ab- sorption spectrometry (GFAAS) followed by separate sections on the individual ele- ments listing important information such as wavelength slit-width optimum char and atomization temperatures sensitivity and working range.Each element section concludes with a list of references. After the element sections there follows lists of references to applications under the titles Clinical Analysis Heavy Metals Miscel- laneous Analysis Trace Elements and Wear Metals a strange series of titles under which to classify applications. Ref- erences do not go beyond 1987. The most interesting part is the intro- ductory section which contains some useful information particularly on opti- mizing methods for GFAAS. However it is a serious omission for a book published in 1990 not to mention stabilized temper- ature platform furnace technology or pal- ladium-based modifiers. In buying a book like this one would hope to buy some of the experience of the author in the tech- nique; this does not shine through in this handbook. I could not help comparing this book with another from the same publisher ‘Atomic Absorption Spectrom- etry in Occupational and Environmental Health Practice Volume 11’ by D.L. Tsalev (1984) a bible in our laboratory. The field covered is slightly different but Tsalev’s book is similarly classified into elements with extensive references. Tsalev surveys the literature for each element and uses his experience and intel- lect to highlight the most important prob- lems and the solutions to those problems. Dr. Varma’s book costs 5156. My advice is that most of the contents of the book will be covered adequately in the in- strument manufacturer’s handbook which every user will have already and this will pertain directly to his or her instrument. (N.B. It appears that much of the infor- mation in this book was compiled from manufacturer’s handbooks.) For up-to- date reference lists the reader of JAAS already has Atomic Spectrometry Updates to fulfil hisher needs. In saving you this money I am really trying too hard to become an honorary Scot! David J. Halls