April, 1979 THE ANALYST viiThe City University, Northampton Square, London, EClWorkers in clinical industrial and academic environments will find this conference of particularvalue as it has been designed to provide a cross-fertilization of the ideas and concepts ofautomation between the three sectors. Not only scientific and technical aspects will beconsidered, but also managerial, organisational and economic considerations which are animportant part of the application of automation. The broad areas of the conference will be:education, new instrumentation, costing and management, new applications, evaluation andstandardizationKEYNOTE SPEAKERSProfessor M Bonner Denton, The University of Arizona, USADr F L Mitchell, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex, UK.Dr R W Arndt, Mettler Instruments AG, Griefensee, Switzerland.Some of the papers included in the programmeTraining of clinical laboratory personnel in the use and maintenance of automatic systems,Dr L B Roberts, Gartnavel General Hospital, UKAn experiment in education for automatic analysis: the 1979 Chemical Society SummerSchool, Dr D Betteridge, University College of Swansea, UK.Case studies in laboratory automation, Professor M Bonner Denton, The University of Arizona,USA.Recent developments in flow injection analysis, Dr J Ruzicka, the Technical University ofDenmark, Lyngby, Denmark.DACOS - a new approach to kinetic analysis, M Snook, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow,Middlesex, UK.Recent developments in automatic chromatography, Dr P B Stockwell, The Laboratory of theGovernment Chemist, London, UK.Automated method for determination of sulphate in water, M Stockley, Yorkshire WaterAuthority, and R J Vincent, Thames Water, UK.The cost benefits of automated analytical systems, J G Jones, Wessex Water Authority, Bath,UK .Economic techniques for evaluating automation alternatives, T M Craig, E I Du Pont deNemours & Co, Wilmington, Delaware, USA.Evaluation of clinical laboratory equipment, Dr L B Roberts, Gartnavel General Hospital,Clasgow, UK.Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK.Industrial applications of automation with particular reference to the InfraAlyzer, Dr H Swann,University of Nottingham, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonnington, Loughborough, UK.Extraction in continuous flow systems with examples from pharmaceutical analysis, Dr BKarlberg, Astra Pharmaceuticals AB, Sodertalje, Sweden.Improved accuracy in automated chemistry through the use of reference materials, Dr R FColeman, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK.The symposium fee will be €120.00 + 8% VAT and this fee will includea) documentation and abstracts of all papersb) luncheon, tea, coffee etc.To register for this symposium and obtain further details fill in the coupon below.I/We wish to register for the symposium and enclose my cheque for S .. . . . . . . .Block capitals pleaseName.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Tel: 01-837 1212I Automation of radioimmunoassay and related analytical techniques, Professor J Landon, StD O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O e ~ O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O ~Analysis 79AUTOMATION IN INDUSTRIAL AND CLINICAL CHEMISTRY16 - 18 July, 197...Vlll SUMMARIES OF PAPERS I N THIS ISSUEDifferent Pyrolysis SystemsA study has been made into some of the factors that affect the reproducibilityof pyrolysis - mass spectrometry.Three separate pyrolysis systems wereexamined and three sample types, a simple system of easily pyrolysablepolymers, an acrylic paint, and an alkyd paint, were employed in order tocover a range of ease of sample pyrolysis. These samples were also examinedby pyrolysis - gas chromatography.The reproducibility of the pyrolysis - mass spectrometry system was foundto vary according to sample type. The source of irreproducibility wasidentified as the pyrolysis process and not the mass spectrometric detection.Keywords : Reproducibility ; Pyrolysis - mass spectrometry ; pyrolysis - gasApril, 1979Reproducibility of Pyrolysis - Mass Spectrometry Using Threechromatography ; paint analysisD.A. HICKMAN and I. JANEMetropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory, 109 Lambeth Road, London,SE1 7LP.Analyst, 1979, 104, 334-347.Interference Films on the Sensor Membranes of Solid-stateCopper(I1) Ion-selective ElectrodesCopper (11) ion-selective electrodes based on copper (11) sulphide - silversulphide sensor membranes, which showed anomalous responses withcopper(I1) nitrate in the presence of chloride, have been examined by Augerspectrometry. I n some electrodes exposed to solutions of potassium chloridethe chloride is found to have penetrated the bulk of the membrane matrix,whilst in others only a surface contamination is observed.The anomalouselectrode response is exhibited when exposure to chloride is in the presenceof copper nitrate. The Auger signal alters during the duration of the spectrumas a consequence of electron bombardment. The effects of argon-ion andelectron bombardment are compared.Keywords : Ion-selective electrodes f o r cop$er(II) ; interference films o n ion-selective electrodes ; Auger spectrometryG. J. MOODY, N. S. NASSORY and J. D. R. THOMASChemistry Department, University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology,Cardiff, CFl 3NU.D. BETTERIDGE, P. SZEPESVARY and B. J. WRIGHTChemistry Department, University College of Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea,SA2 8PP.Analyst, 1979, 104, 348-357.Determination of Nitrite Ion in Unused Cutting Fluids andCutting Oils Using a Gas-sensing Electrode MethodModifications of the Orion NO, gas-sensing electrode method that were madeto determine nitrite ion in unused cutting fluids and cutting oils are described.Detection limits for both types of lubricants of the order of 15pgg-1 ofNO,- ion were obtained.Previous analysis of six cutting fluids, collectedin the Ottawa region and analysed by spectrophotometry, confirmed thepresence of high levels of nitrite ion and showed fair agreement betweenresults. Analysis of six other cutting fluids and 20 cutting oils collected inthe same region showed the presence of nitrite ion in only three instances.The operation of the electrode, interferences, the use of standard-additionand -subtraction methods and the possibility of applying this method toused cutting lubricants are discussed.Keywords ; Nitrite-ion determination ; gas-sensing electrode ; nitrogen oxideelectrode ; cutting fluids ; cutting oilsFERRERS R.S. CLARK and HART B. MACPHERSONProduct Safety Laboratory, Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs,Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1 A OC9.Analyst, 1979, 104, 358-366April, I979 SUMMARIES OF PAPERS I N THIS ISSUEDicarboxidine [y,y'-(4,4'-Diamino -3,3'- bipheny1enedioxy)dibutyricAcid] as a Reagent for the Spectrophotometric Determination ofCyanide and Chlorine1xShort PaperKeywords : Dicarboxidine [ y , y'- (4,4'-diamino-3,3'-biphenylylenedioxy) dibutyricacid] chromogen ; cyanide detevmination ; chlorine determination ; spectro-photometryKERSTIN GRONINGSSONResearch Department, Analytical Chemistry, AB KABI, S-112 87 Stockholm,Sweden.Analyst, 1979, 104, 367-370.Semi- automatic Determination of Manganese in Natural Waters andPlant Digests by Flow Injection AnalysisShort PaperKeywords : Manganese detevmination ; water analysis ; plant material analysis ;JOW injection analysis ; spectrophotometryM.F. GIN& E. A. G. ZAGATTO and H. BERGAMIN FILHOCentro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, CEP 13400 Piracicaba, S%o Paulo, Brazil.Analyst, 1979, 104, 371-375.Gravimetric Determination of Copper(I1) and Cobalt( 11) by SelectivePrecipitation with BenzimidazoleShort PaperKeywords : Copper determination; cobalt determination; benzimidazole ;gravimetryK.N. UPADHYAYAChemistry Department, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35061, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania.Analyst, 1979, 104, 375-377.Routine Determination of Nitrogen by Kjeldahl DigestionWithout Use of CatalystShort PaperKeywords : Nitrogen determination ; non-toxic Kjeldahl digestion ; hydrogenperoxide oxidationERIC FLORENCE and DOUGLAS FRANK MILNERNational Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading, RG2 9AT.Analyst, 1979, 104, 378-381X THE ANALYST Afwil, 1979ANALYTICAL SCIENCES MONOGRAPHS No. 3Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatographyby R. W. May, E. F. Pearson and D. ScothernThis monograph attempts to present the available knowledge in a formuseful to the practising analyst, helping in the choice of an appropriatemethod and in the avoidance of the more common pitfalls in this, perhapsdeceptively, simple technique.Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to gas chromatography and will beof interest to those unfamiliar with the technique.The several methodsof pyrolysis used in pyrolysis-gas chromatography are described inChapter2; their merits and demerits in particular applications are discussed.The major analytical uses of the technique are presented in Chapter 3;the general analytical 'fingerprinting' aspects described separately fromthe method as applied to specific sample types. Chapter 4 deals with theidentification of the pyrolysis products which are eluted from the chrom-atography column, useful extra information allowing the possibility ofnaming a pyrolysed sample without recourse to a known identical sample.The necessity for increased standardization of the technique of pyrolysis-gas chromatography is discussed in Chapter 5.Clothbound 117pp 8s'' x 6" 0 85186 767 7 f7.20 ($14.40)CS Members f5.50ANALYTICAL SCIENCES MONOGRAPHS No.4Electrothermal Atomization forAtomic Absorption Spectrometryby C. W. FullerAt the present time the two most successful alternatives to the flame appearto be the electrothermal atomizer and the inductively-coupled plasma. Inthis book an attempt has been made to provide the author's views onthe historical development, commercial design features, theory, practicalconsiderations, analytical parameters of the elements, and areas of appli-cation of the first of these two techniques, electrothermal atomization.The chapter headings are as follows: History; Theoretical Aspects of theAtomization Process; General Experimental Conditions; Analytical Con-ditions for the Determination of the Elements by Atomic AbsorptionSpectrometry;Applications (Oil and Oil Products; Metals; Rocks, Minerals,and Soils; Waters; Plants; Food and Drugs; Biological Fluids; BiologicalTissues; Air Particulates; Refractory Oxides and Related Materials; OtherAnalytical Applications; Theoretical).Clothbound 135pp 8%" x 5" 0 851 86 777 4 f 6.75 ($1 3.50)CS Members f5.50THE CHEMICAL SOCIETYDistribution Centre, Blackhorse Road, Letchworth,Herts. SG6 1 HN, Englan