iv SUMMARIES OF PAPERS I N THIS ISSUE April, 1979Summaries of Papers in this IssueApproach for Achieving Comparable Analytical Resultsfrom a Number of LaboratoriesIn the field of water analysis, growing importance is being attached to theability to compare, with confidence, the results from different laboratories.However, the errors in the results can invalidate such comparisons. Oneapproach to ensuring results of adequate accuracy is described in this paper.Examples of its successful application to river-water analysis within the UKwill be presented in subsequent papers.Keywords Water analysis ; accuracy of results ; inter-laboratory comparability ;A. L. WILSONanalytical quality controlWater Research Centre, Henley Road, Medmenham, Marlow, Buckinghamshire,SL7 2HD.Analyst, 1979, 104, 273-289.Accuracy of Determination of Chloride in River Waters :Analytical Quality Control in the Harmonised Monitoring SchemeThe Department of the Environment, in collaboration with the RegionalWater Authorities, has initiated a Scheme for the Harmonised Monitoring ofthe Quality of Inland Fresh Waters in England and Wales.The ScottishDevelopment Department has introduced a similar scheme in Scotland incollaboration with the Scottish River Purification Boards. To achieve therequired comparability of results from all laboratories involved, each labora-tory takes part in an analytical quality control (AQC) scheme; this work isco-ordinated by the Water Research Centre. The general approach adoptedto AQC has been described, and this paper presents the tests made and resultsobtained in the determination of chloride in river waters.Broadly,each of the ten participating laboratories achieved total errors not greaterthan &20% of the chloride concentration for concentrations greater than5 mg 1-1 of chloride.Keywords : River-water analysis ; chloride determination ; accuvacy of results ;ANALYTICAL QUALITY CONTROL (HARMONISED MONITORING)COMMITTEEWater Research Centre, Henley Road, Medmenham, Marlow, Buckinghamshire,SL7 2HD.Analyst, 1979, 104, 290-298.inter-laboratory comparability ; analytical quality controlStatistical Appraisal of Interference Effects in the Determinationof Trace Elements by Atomic-absorption Spectrophotometry inApplied GeochemistryInterference effects in the determination of trace elements by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry in applied geochemistry have been studied bya statistical appraisal and described in terms of a simple two-parametermathematical model.The experimental design incorporated features thatwould allow possible deviations from the model to be detected, but no seriousdeviations were detected except in a deliberately chosen example. The studyled to the identification of some important interference effects that couldaffect interpretation of geochemical data and also provided a formula thatcould be applied to correct the crude results.Keywords : Applied geochemistry ; mineral exploration ; atomic-absorptionMICHAEL THOMPSON, STEPHEN J.WALTON and SHIRLEY J. WOODspectrophotometry ; interferences ; chemometricsApplied Geochemistry Research Group, Department of Geology, Imperial College,London, SW7 2BP.Analyst, 1979, 104, 299-312April, 1979 SUMMARIES OF PAPERS I N THIS ISSUEMinimum Sample Preparation for the Determination of Ten Elementsin Pig Faeces and Feeds by Atomic-absorption Spectrophotometryand a Spectrophotometric Procedure for Total PhosphorusStudies of mineral metabolism in pigs and problems of manure disposal orutilisation are complicated by interactions of trace metals and major cations.A procedure for the determination of copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, iron,sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and arsenic in pigfaeces and feeds is described. Phosphorus is determined spectrophoto-metrically and the other elements by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry.Sample preparation is minimised, and all elements except arsenic are deter-mined after a single sample digestion in nitric acid - perchloric acid mixture.A separate sample digestion is necessary for arsenic.The accuracy andprecision of the method were rigorously tested, and are suitable for budgetstudies of all eleven elements.Keywords ; Pig faeces and feed analysis ; trace metal determination ; majorelements determination ; atomic-absorption spectrop hotometry ; spectro-photometryEDWARD P. HILLIARDSchool of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria3052, Australia.and J. DAVID SMITHSchool of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.Analyst, 1979, 104, 313-322.Sulphochlorophenol N as a Spectrophotometric Reagentfor Vanadium(V)A spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts ofvanadium(V) with sulphochlorophenol N is described.With this reagent,vanadium forms a blue complex, which is stable in the pH range 3.7-6.0.The coloured complex obeys Beer’s law a t 627 nm in aqueous solution with amolar absorptivity of 3.12 x lo4 1 mol-l cm-l. Copper and cobalt ionsinterfere in this method.Keywords : Bisazochromotropic acid dye ; spectrophotometry ; sulphochloro-phenol N ; vanadium determinationM. ZENKIDepartment of Chemistry, Okayama College of Science, 1-1, Ridai-cho, Okayama-shi,700, Japan.Analyst, 1979, 104, 323-327.Oxidative Determination of Dextromoramide (Palfium)in Body FluidsThe oxidation of dextromoramide to benzophenone with alkaline potassiumpermanganate and measurement of its ultraviolet absorbance is advocatedfor the determination of this drug in urine and serum over the concentrationrange 5-40 pgml-l.Keywords ; Dextromoramide determination ; urine ; serum ; plasma ; ultravioletspectrophotometryB. CADDY and R. IDOWUForensic Science Unit, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharma-ceutical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XW.Analyst, 1979, 104, 328-333