Analyst, December, 1977

Reviews

985

FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY: A CENTURY OF PROGRESS. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES Proceedings of the Symposium Celebrating the Centenary of the Sale of Food

London: HM Stationery

The symposium was held at the Royal Institution in October, 1975, to celebrate the centenary of effective food law in the United Kingdom. Those who attended the symposium gained useful background knowledge of the methods of food law enforcement not only in the UK but also in the EEC, the USA and in developing countries. However, i t is only on reading the actual text of the lectures and discussions that the value of the symposium is fully realised. There were 13 contribu- tors, all experts in one aspect or another of food quality or safety, representing amongst others the Government, the enforcement authorities, the food trade and the consumer. Each of the many hundreds who attended the symposium will have received a copy of the HMSO publication and probably will have placed i t on the shelf for reference purposes. To do such a thing would be a mistake, for this accurate account of the proceedings makes very interesting and informative reading. In fact, a study of this book would bring as much, if not more, pleasure and benefit to the reader as listening to the spoken words. The history of food legislation in this country is fascinating but the complexity of the law and enforcement is often bewildering, especially since our entry into the EEC. However, each contributor has expertly summarised and explained not only the development of the legislation but also the present advantages and disadvantages of the system, which extends from the early pioneering efforts of Public Analysts to the assessment of food additives by the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The right perspective has been introduced by contributions from the USA, the World Health Organization and the UK Department of Health and Social Security. Of particular interest to the analyst is the paper entitled “A century of food analysis,” by the Govern- ment Chemist, Dr. Harold Egan, which is concluded by outlining the principles to be observed in selecting mandatory methods of analysis. As usual, each discussion gave an opportunity for every- one involved with both manufacturing and regulatory control of food to reply to the speakers in a forthright manner, asking searching questions and receiving carefully considered opinions. The so-called bureaucracy must be proud of this publication, because it has succeeded in explaining clearly and concisely the law relating to food. Anyone having only the remotest connection with the food industry should have a copy of this most valuable and comparatively cheap book.

AND FOOD. and Drugs Act, 1875, London, October, 1975. Office. 1976. Price f15,

Pp. vi + 243.

L. E. COLES

FLUORESCENCE AND PHOSPHORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY ; PHYSICOCHEMICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE. By STEPHEN G. SCHULMAN. International Series in Analytical Chemistry, Volume 59. Pp. x + 228. Oxford, New York, Toronto, Sydney, Paris and Frankfurt: Pergamon Press. 1977. Price fill; $20.

Although there are many excellent reference works currently available which are concerned with luminescence spectroscopy, many of these tend to be either theoretically orientated, with heavy emphasis on quantum mechanical interpretation of spectra of simple molecules as they relate to molecular electronic energy states, or are specialist instrumental texts that emphasise the electronic and optical aspects of instrument design. A t present, however, most practitioners of fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopy are analytical chemists or biological scientists whose back- ground and fundamental interest in quantum mechanics, electronics and optics may be limited. Frequently these users are constrained to the application of commercially available instrumentation whose fundamental design does not vary significantly from one type of instrument to another. In addition, the luminescing molecules of interest to these users are often drugs, metabolites and other compounds of extremely complex molecular structure whose detailed understanding by rigorous quantum mechanical treatment is usually impossible. It is, however, important that all users of luminescence phenomena appreciate the capabilities and limitations of the available instrument- ation and gain at least a qualitative picture of the relationships between molecular electronic struc- ture and environmental interactions and luminescence spectra ; this is necessary in order to optimise sensitivity and selectivity and the interpretation and over-all reliability of data taken in lumines- cence measurements. I t This book sets out to fill this need and is written with the user in mind.

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986 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, Vol. 102 attempts to make the instrumental techniques, and especially the structural and environmental aspects, of luminescence spectra intelligible to the reader with only a general background in chem- istry and physics.

The first two, which constitute approximately half of the volume, are devoted to a clear and worthwhile outline of the principal photophysical processes that occur with isolated molecules and molecules in solution. A useful third chapter is concerned with instrumentation for luminescence spectroscopy and practical measurements, while the con- cluding chapter deals with applications. This last chapter describes applications to both organic compounds and inorganic substances and includes extensive tabulated data pertaining to fluori- metric and phosphorimetric methods. The tabular format has allowed details of the solvent, excitation and emission wavelength, limit of detection and luminescence lifetime (where applicable) to be presented for each compound together with literature references to the original method from which the data are taken.

The book is most useful and fulfils a real need in the literature of luminescence spectroscopy. It is well produced and easy to read. It can be recommended without reservation to all workers engaged in this area of spectroscopy and particularly to those who contemplate such engagement.

The book contains four main chapters.

G. F. KIRKBRIGHT

ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY. Second Edition. By BERNHARD WELZ. Translated by CHRISTOPHER SKEGG. Pp. xii + 267. Weinheim and New York: Verlag Chemie. 1976. Price DM68.

The technique of atomic-absorption spectroscopy is now practised by analytical chemists and analysts engaged in a wide variety of other disciplines-from biochemistry and medicine, foodstuffs and agricultural chemistry, general inorganic chemistry, environmental chemistry, geochemistry and mining, prospecting and petrochemistry through to metallurgy. Despite the now widespread acceptance of the technique and more general understanding of its capabilities and limitations, there continues to be a need for reviews and texts which are informative with respect to the funda- mental principles of atomic-absorption spectroscopy and its applications and which may also be studied by the practising analyst to provide up-to-date information concerning recent advances in instrumentation and methodology. This book was first published as a German language text in 1972. Fortunately, its translation into English was undertaken while the author was completing the second German edition. Consequently, all of the most recent developments in the technique and methodology of atomic-absorption spectroscopy included in the second German edition have been incorporated into the English edition. This is particularly important in the consideration of electrothermal atomisation techniques ; the present state-of-the-art for these important devices, which have radically changed the role of atomic-absorption spectroscopy in practice and extended its range of application dramatically, is dealt with thoroughly. As well as the extensive treatment of electrothermal atomisers found in the chapter on atomisation processes, which reviews both the types of devices commonly encountered in practice and the current interpretation of the nature of the atomisation processes that occur, electrothermal atomic-absorption techniques have been taken into consideration in all of the other chapters, including those devoted to technique, the individual elements and specific applications. A particularly useful feature of the book, seen from the view- point of the reader who might have a general interest in the applicability of the technique, is the final chapter concerned with its application in specific disciplines ; this chapter is well documented with references that allow more detailed information on specific applications to be readily obtained.

The format of this book is most satisfactory; the important information is easily found and is presented in lucid style. The book is well produced and very few errors were noticed a t a first reading. It can be given unqualified recommendation both as a first tutorial text in the technique and as an up-to-date review of its present status. Regrettably, as with most texts of this type,its high price may restrict its general ownership. G. F. KIRKBRIGHT

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC HEADSPACE ANALYSIS. Translated by D. VERDIN. 1977. Price k9.50; $19; DM61.

By HORST HACHENBERG and ADOLPH P. SCHMIDT. London, New York and Rheine: Heyden.

The first two thirds of the book, written by H. Hachenberg, describes the application of the tech- Theoretical considerations and calibration procedures -

Pp. xiv + 125.

nique to the analysis of volatile substances.

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December, 1977 BOOK REVIEWS 987

for quantitative methods are first discussed, followed by possible variations in experimental parameters designed to increase the analytical sensitivity of the method. Some practical aspects examined include the design of the headspace sampling vessel, the process of sampling from the headspace by syringe, gas sampling valves, enrichment steps and the use of reduced pressure or excess pressure systems. Some practical applications of headspace analysis are then considered. Examples chosen include the determination of trace constituents of drinking waters and sewage, aroma and flavour constituents in foodstuffs and other natural products, fermentation products in alcoholic beverages, vinyl chloride in olive oil and resi- dual monomers in polymers, as well as alcohol and other toxic substances in blood.

The second part of the book, written by A. P. Schmidt, deals with some physico-chemical applications of the technique to the equilibrium that exists between a vapour and its corresponding condensed state. The determination of certain thermodynamic variables, such as activity and partition coefficients, applied to such systems for a study of phase equilibria is described. Some future applications of the technique to this branch of chemistry are also considered.

Tothefirstpart of the book 121 references are cited, with a further 75 references in the second part. This book can serve both as an introduction to the subject of headspace analysis and as a reference work for laboratories already equipped for the technique. The layout of sections may be confusing, in that some occupy less than one page. Subject and chemical compound indexes are provided, and’also a table of symbols used in the mathematical treatment.

Sources of error are briefly discussed.

N. T. CROSBY

NOMENCLATURE, SYMBOLS, UNITS AND THEIR USAGE IN SPECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 11. DATA INTERPRETATION (Rules Approved 1975). 111. ANALYTICAL FLAME SPECTROSCOPY AND ASSOCIATED NON-FLAME PROCEDURES (Rules Approved 1976). INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY DIVISION COMMISSION ON SPECTRO- CHEMICAL AND OTHER OPTICAL PROCEDURES FOR ANALYSIS. Pp. 25. Oxford, New York, Paris and Frankfurt: Pergamon Press. 1976. Price $6; L3.30.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NOMENCLATURE OF ION-SELECTIVE ELECTRODES. (Recommendations

Oxford, New York, Paris 1975.) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF P U R E AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY DIVISION COMMISSION ON ANALYTICAL NOMENCLATURE. and Frankfurt: Pergamon Press. 1976. Price $6; k3.30.

Pp. 6.

CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE OF ELECTROANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES (Rules Approved 1975). INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY DIVISION COMMISSION ON ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. Oxford, New York, Paris and Frankfurt: Pergamon Press. 1976. Price $6; k3.30.

The three IUPAC Reports detailed above, originally published in Pure and Applied Chemistry, They are of obvious importance to those working in the

Pp. 77.

are now available as separate publications. fields specified. P. C. WESTON

ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION. Proceedings of the 12th International Colloquium, Paris, France, May 5-7, 1976. Edited by MICHEL M. BENARIE. Pp. x + 649. Amsterdam, Oxford and New York: Elsevier. 1976. Price Dfl129; $49.75.

As the title implies, this book is a collection of the papers presented at the Colloquium that was organised by 1’Institut National de Recherche Chimique Appliqube. Fifty-three papers, all by international experts, are included and nine of these are in French with an English abstract. There is an introductory paper in which Professor A. C. Stem reviews the history of air pollution control and research and highlights some of the problems to be faced jn the future. The other papers cover a wide range of topics, from details of national and international research programmes and standardisation of methods to the results of surveys on various aspects of atmospheric pollution throughout the world. Many of the papers presented have an air of familiarity, but this does not detract from the usefulness of the book as a record of the Colloquium. So far as the reviewer is aware, some of the papers have not previously appeared in print and i t is to be hoped that these may eventually appear in the scientific journals so that they become more generally available.

The book has of necessity been published very quickly after the event, apparently by a process

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988 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, Vol. 102 in which the original manuscripts, complete with typing errors and imperfections, have been photographed. Nonetheless, the final article is very well produced, with clear diagrams and photographs. A. F. SMITH

WILSON AND WILSON’S COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. Volume VIII. ENZYME ELECTRODES IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, MOLECULAR FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY, PHOTOMETRIC TITRATIONS, ANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS OF INTERFEROMETRY. Edited by G. SVEHLA. Pp. xvi + 589. Amsterdam, Oxford and New York: Elsevier. 1977. Price $77.75; Dfl.190 loose; subscription price $65.75; Dfll61.

This is the thirteenth member (Volumes I and I1 appeared in 3 and 4 parts, respectively) of a well received series aimed at providing a self-sufficient reference work but with the qualifying caveat that i t should at least be a starting point for any analytical investigation.

The subject of the first chapter would hardly have been even a pipe-dream when the series commenced but, although the series has spread itself over many years, the growth of interest in enzyme electrodes associated with developments in the general area of ion-selective electrodes has been rapid, This kind of growth of interest demonstrates a keenness to take on new methods in areas where analysis has hitherto proved difficult and expensive or where speedier results can be expected. However, in order to avoid subsequent disillusionment, enthusiasm connected with such keenness often has to be tempered and directed to appreciate the principles and limitations of new developments.

Professor G. G. Guilbault is the greatest authority on enzyme electrodes, and it is therefore fitting that he authors the chapter on this subject. This he does well by describing the principles and constructional details within the over-all concepts of ion-selective electrodes. Many areas of application are discussed and, although the transmission of Professor Guilbault’s enthusiasm to others may be hindered by the lack of commercial availability of the devices, he does list sources of purified enzymes so that readers may be persuaded to make their own probes.

The second and third chapters are on the more established methods of fluorescence spectroscopy and photometric titrations, respectively. The former displays another of Professor Guilbault’s interests and he has produced a self-contained work reflecting basic theoretical principles, instru- mentation, practical considerations and examples of applications for determining inorganic ions and organic compounds, including enzyme assay. It is this concern with enzymes that promotes the justification for the electrochemically based first chapter being in what is otherwise a volume devoted to optical methods.

The presentation of photometric titrations has been the challenge taken up by Dr. M. A. Leonard. The base to his discussion is laid by the physico-chemical background of straightforward absorption of electromagnetic radiation by solutions, solution fluorescence and radiation scattering by suspen- sions. The general theory of photometric titrations then follows and precedes an interesting dis- cussion on instrumentation, including a tabular summary of photometric titrators. The main body of the work is concerned with applications classified under the headings of acid - base, com- plexometry, precipitation, redox and organic functional groups. Certain specialised aspects, such as spectrofluorimetry, spectropolarimetry and determination of critical micelle concentration, are also considered.

The final chapter demonstrates a rather wider horizon than is implied by the term “analytical chemistry.” In it, Dr. W. Nebe deals with the principles of interference and interference measure- ments on an introductory base of the wave nature, monochromaticity and coherence of light. He then proceeds to apparatus, accessories and methods of interferometric analysis. The section and applications commence with a persuasive comment that “when compared with the majority of chemical procedures, interferometric measurements offer the great advantage of simplicity.” This is supported by examples concerning analyses of gases and vapours, liquids and solutions and glasses and measurements in electrophoresis, diffusion, sedimentation, etc.

The complete volume reflects careful editorial attention not only in the finished quality but also in having persuaded the various authors to present their manuscripts to a fairly consistent format. However, the manuscript for the last chapter was completed in 1972 while that for the first chapter was finalised in 1975-a rather wide spread for a volume published in 1977 and for which the Preface was written in September, 1975.

Each chapter is presented in a clear, lucid style and is well provided with diagrams.

J. D. R. THOMAS

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December, 1977 BOOK REVIEWS 989 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. Second Edition. By GARY D. CHRISTIAN. Pp. xviii + 652. New

1977. Price i11.35;

This is a most interesting undergraduate text-book which has been designed to take note of the familiar cry by students for “relevance” in course work. The book does not attempt to provide a comprehensive treatment of modern instrumental analytical chemistry for Honours Chemistry degree courses but is selective and highly appropriate for major service courses requiring an emphasis on life-science applications in analytical chemistry.

The major sections of the text deal with the following: Principles of Analytical Chemistry; Data Handling; Preparing the Sample; Methods of Separation; Volumetric Methods of Measurement; Optical Methods of Measurement; Measurements Based on Rate ; Gas Measurements ; Automation in the Laboratory; and Applications of Analytical Chemistry. The techniques selected by the author are those likely to be met, for example, in a routine clinical chemistry laboratory. The approach is directed to inculcate a clear understanding of the basic principles, advantages and limitations of methods, how they are carried out in practice and the calculation of results from the data. Numerous worked examples are provided, as are problems and references to allow a more in-depth study if required.

The careful balance of instrumental and the more classical procedures is a realistic reflection of the work students could encounter after graduation.

An integral part of the book is detailed instructions for a series of 51 illustrative experiments; these range from the use of the analytical balance and gravimetric determinations to enzymatic determinations of blood glucose. The weakest section is that on atomic spectroscopic methods, which is disappointing in view of the author’s earlier excellent text on the subject. In the descrip- tion of a spectrograph the optical path indicates that a prism has arefractive index of less thanunity.

Less biologically inclined teachers of analytical chemistry will find much of interest and guidance in the preparation of courses for pure chemists and more particularly for those to life scientists apart from the intrinsic interest they may have in, for example, the physiological significance of clinical tests.

York, Santa Barbara, London, Sydney and Toronto: John Wiley. $19.50.

The book is highly recommended for both private and institutional purchase. D. THORBURN BURNS

IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN WATER. Edited by LAWRENCE H. KEITH. Pp. x + 718. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Ann Arbor Science Publishers. 1976. Price i17.90; $30.25.

It is about 25 years since workers a t the Environmental Protection Agency first isolated sufficient organic material from waters for an attempt to be made at identification. This was achieved by passing a large volume of the water through an activated carbon filter, then solvent extracting the carbon. The organic material was separated into classes, such as acidic, basic, neutral and phenolic and functional groups were identified, such as alcohols, esters and hydrocarbons, but for several years after the publication of the initial papers, very little progress was made in the identification of the individual substances in the extract from the carbon filter.

“Identification and Analysis of Organic Pollutants in Water” consists largely of an edited version of the papers presented at a Symposium of the same title held in Mexico in December, 1975. The papers provide an excellent review of the current situation and emphasise the vast amount of work that still remains to be done in this field. Apart from two papers contributed by workers a t the Swiss EAWAG and the inclusion of a few Dutch co-workers, the work described is confined entirely to the USA and Canada, where clearly considerable amounts of money and effort have been allocated for research in this field. Many of the papers describe work in progress a t the EPA ; probably this is the result of an increasing awareness of the unacceptable, mainly carcinogenic, nature of many organic compounds, allied to the knowledge that the ultimate responsibility for the issue of “Permits” (Consents to Discharge) rests with the EPA. It is also clear from many of the papers that the increasing recognition of the limitations of the traditional BOD and COD determinations, and even the TOC determination, as indicators of the true environmental impact of the individual organic materials discharged into waters, not only from industrial effluents but also from such effluents as municipal waste and septic tank leachate, is also leading to increasing efforts in this field.

Section 1, a brief section on “Chemistry of Pollutants,” covers mainly organohalogen compounds, with a general chapter on the identification of carcinogens

The book is divided into three sections.

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990 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, VoZ. 102 using the Salmonella test first described by Ames e t al. Section 2 deals with the techniques current- ly in use for the separation and concentration of organic compounds and with methods of analysis. There are newer techniques described for separation and concentration, for example resin absorp- tion, semipermeable membranes and liquid - liquid extraction, but the carbon filter method is still widely used. It is clear that much work remains to be done before a completely satisfactory isola- tion procedure emerges. Following separation, the identification and measurement of individual materials is described ; considerable progress has been made in this field recently, largely owing to the combination of gas - liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and sophisticated computer- isation. However, some idea of the problem that still exists is obtained when it is remembered, as the book emphasises, that only the so-called “volatile” compounds are separated by the various gas - liquid chromatographic procedures and that these compounds usually represent less than 10% of the total organic material present in effluents and waters. Currently, it is considered that high- performance liquid chromatography offers the most promising means of separating non-volatile compounds and the potential of this technique is described briefly. Many of the materials listed in the book as having been isolated from waters are a t the microgram per litre level, or less, and these results give rise to many more questions, because the health and ecological effects of these materials at such levels in waters are as yet generally unknown.

In order to avoid any misunderstanding of the nature of the content of the book, the title should, perhaps, have included the phrase “Recent Advances.” The presentation of the chapters in the book is somewhat inconsistent, but its interest is such that this goes largely unnoticed. Some of the chapters contain an Introduction, a few contain Conclusions, a very few contain both. I t is also possible to think of trace organic compounds in waters of topical interest-monoacrylamide, for instancewhich receive no mention. In spite of these minor criticisms, everybody interested in the environmental consequences of trace organics should at least browse through this book. It should be compulsory reading for any aspiring “environmental chemist’’ looking for a suitable subject for postgraduate study. STELLA J. PATTERSON

ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY OF INSECTS. Edited by RALPH B. TURNER. Pp. viii + 315. Am-

Insect biochemistry has until recently been a comparatively neglected field but the economic importance of insects has stimulated a growing number of researchers to enter the field. The insect also has an increasing attractiveness as an experimental animal in its own right because of the potential of combining genetic and biochemical approaches to the study of a particular process.

Close to a million insect species have been recorded but the literature suggests that less than 50 species have been used for biochemical studies. Even so, a variety of tissues and anatomical regions have been used and this makes it somewhat hazardous to assume that one method will be applicable to a range of insect species.

However, this book represents a creditable attempt to collate the analytical techniques in the major areas of insect biochemistw. The choice of authors with expertise in these areas has obvious advantages but also leads to inevitable discontinuities in style and depth of presentation. Furthermore, these differences tend to be exaggerated by the difference in typewritten present- ation and layout.

The opening chapter is on nucleosides, nucleotides and associated compounds and looks at first sight to be comprehensive. However, the explicit methodology is restricted to one parti- cular method and often still requires the original reference. A slightly less detailed synopsis together with some results obtained by using the methods would have been more useful to the reader entering the field. The growing area of insect cyclic nucleotides should also have been examined in more detail.

The subsequent chapters on the analysis of DNA and RNA present a more balanced coverage of the specialised methodology for use with insects and actual results. Furthermore, the chapter on DNA includes a useful discussion of the factors that need consideration when designing analy- tical methods. The analysis of amino acids and peptides (Chapter 4) and of lipids (Chapter 5) is also discussed in some detail although in Chapter 4 the authors have tended to concentrate on methods with which they have experience. This policy has given rise to several important omissions (including thin-layer chromatography).

The insect-specific hormones have been the subject of extensive research and the chapters dealing individually with the analytical procedures for the moulting and juvenile hormones are of

sterdam, Oxford and New York: Elsevier. 1977. Price $30.25; Dfl74.

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December, 1977 BOOK REVIEWS 991 particular interest. Certainly, the methodology developed to separate and quantify the hor- mones and their metabolites should greatly benefit scientists intent on the study of hormonal action at the molecular level.

The final chapter on neurotransmitter analysis is wide-ranging and hence short on practical details. Little attempt has been made to weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of the quoted methods. There is also little guidance as to the amount of hard non-nervous tissue needed for a particular analysis or to the amounts likely to be found in insects.

To summarise, this book’s main advantage will be as a guide to the researcher about to enter a particular branch of insect biochemistry. It should be noted that the only major field not covered in this book is that of carbohydrate chemistry. This is because the Editor felt that no unique problems had arisen in analysis of insect carbohydrates. J. F. DONNELLAN

T. R. ROBERTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON LIQUID EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY (GEL PERMEATION CHROMATOGRAPHY) 1972-1975. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS. Sponsored by Section D-20.70.04 on Gel Permeation Chromatography of Subcommittee D-20.70 on Analytical Methods. Atomic and Molecular Data Series A M D 40-51. Pp. iv + 68. Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials.

This booklet is part of the ASTM series of bibliographies and data compilations on chromato- graphic topics. It follows on from the earlier bibliography (1974) which covered the literature up to 1972 and deals with the period 1972-74, based on Chemical Abstvacts, Volumes 77-84, plus known omissions from the earlier volume. The main emphasis is on polymer science and techno- logy.

The compilation will be useful to beginners in polymer analysis and as a cheap cross-check for those who have searched the abstracts literature by manual or computer-based systems. The permuted title index is also a good source of keywords for the construction of search programs.

D. THORBURN BURNS

Price $9.50.

Permuted title and author - title indexes are included.

THE ANALYSIS OF ROCKET PROPELLANTS. By HUGH E. MALONE. Pp. x + 148. London,

Professor Malone has produced an excellent treatise on the analytical methods for the deter- mination of the impurities present in liquid propellant fuels. The list of impurities tested in each compound is sensible and the methods are clearly written and easily followed. None of the methods is particularly novel but considerable effort has been devoted to assembling all of the methods in one place, resulting in a very useful reference handbook. The section on sampling procedures is particularly valuable, as this is an area which is all too often neglected by authors.

This book has a very good reference section at the end of each chapter and is worth having for this alone.

The subject matter will have limited appeal but it will be of considerable interest to many people outwith the field of liquid propellants.

New York, and San Francisco: Academic Press. 1976. Price A6.50; $14.25.

T. B. DOWNES

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION A N D CARCINOGENIC RISKS. Proceedings of a Symposium organised by IARC and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, held in Lyon, France, 3-5 November, 1975. I A R C Scientific Publications, Number 13. Inserm Symposium Series, Volume 52. Pp. 476. Lyon : International Agency for Research on Cancer. Distributed by the World Health Organi- zation. Available in the UK through HM Stationery Office, London. 1976. Price SwFr50; $20.

Circumstantial evidence suggests that out of the 85% of unaccountable cancers, the greater part depends directly or indirectly upon environmental factors. The IARC symposium, the proceedings of which provide the material for this publication, attempted to explore the contribution to carcino- genic risk associated with atmospheric pollution (Section I), with water pollution (11), with occu- pational pollution (111) and with ionising radiation (IV). Attention was also paid to carcino- genicity and mutagenicity testing and their implications for man (V), to the evaluation of carcino-

Edited by C. ROSENFELD and W. DAVIS.

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992 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, Vol. 102 genicity risk (VI), to methods for monitoring potential environmental carcinogens (VII) and to industrial and legal aspects of occupational cancer (VIII) . Sections I-VI relate specifically to the central theme of environmental carcinogenesis, and authoritative epidemiological chapters are interspersed with ones involving other disciplines.

The most stimulating chapter for the reviewer is Shubik and Clayson’s “Application of the results of carcinogen bioassays to man,” but other highlights include: the “Significance of NO- and SH-reactive components in pulmonary carcinogenesis’ ’ (Leuchtenberger and Leuchtenberger), “Occupational chemical carcinogenesis” (Maltoni), “Metabolism of vinyl chloride” (Bolt et al.), “Carcinogenic potential of chlorinated ethylenes” (Henschler, Bonse and Greim) , “Les risques canckrigknes li&s B la pollution par les radiations” (Latarjet), “Radiation cancer, safety standards and current levels of exposure” (Mole), “Mutagenicity tests in chemical carcinogenesis” (Bartsch) and “Control of carcinogenic hazards in industry’’ (Munn). I t is perhaps unfortunate that the treatment of environmental analysis, including methods (VII), occupies 79 pages and reads like a catalogue. A symposium may be said to be a collection of delivered opinions, and a scientific symposium ought to be a presentation of (creative) scientific ideas. Unless utterly novel in concept, methodology would be better omitted from such a forum.

This publication gives a bird’s-eye view of problems of environmental pollution and carcinogenic risks at the time of the symposium (1975), and it provides a wealth of facts and literature references, which are likely to be invaluable to all practitioners in the field of environmental carcinogenesis.

D. E. HATHWAY

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY 197 1-1 973 AND SURVEY OF APPLICATIONS. By ZDENI~K DEYL and JAN KOPECK$. Supplewzentary Volume No. 6, 1976, to the Journal of Chromatography. Pp. xx + 1135. Amsterdam, Oxford and New York: Elsevier. 1976. Price $103.50; Dfl259 loose; subscription price $61.25; Dfl150.

This book, as the title suggests, is a further volume in the bibliography that the Journal of Chromatography has been presenting over the last 10 years. It is the second of the series on liquid chromatography, filling the gap between the previous volume and the indexed system within the Journal of Chromatography that started in 1974. Because of the attention that is now paid to column chromatography as a first technique in isolating a compound, the bibliography lists some 9 976 papers, which draws a wry comment from the authors in their Introduction. But perhaps more important in the Introduction is the listing of the criteria for choosing and classifying the papers which are found in the General Part.

The layout of the General Part is conservative and holds to the now generally accepted format of such bibliographies, commencing with general reviews and books, proceeding, after some 747 pages, to complex mixtures and unidentified compounds. There then follows an extensive Author Index, which in turn leads on to a list of the compounds chromatographed. Probably the latter will be important to many workers as it can give one an idea of where to look for a particular compound of interest. However, before passing judgement that it is not possible to find the specific compound you are looking for, careful attention should be paid to the naming sequence adopted, which is fully described at the beginning of this section.

Obviously few people are going to purchase such a book for themselves, in view of its price of over $100, but it should be available in libraries for an interested party to consult as a valued reference book. In this instance most libraries will have a copy already through their subscriptions to the Journal of Chromatography. G. NICKLESS

URIC ACID. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By NATHAN RADIN, DAVID D. BAYSE, CLAUDIA Atlanta, Ga. : US Department of Health, Education

Gratis, from the Technical Information Service, Clinical Chemistry LEWIS and ALYCE M. POLK. Pp. 57. and Welfare. Division, Center for Disease Control, SO-Cham, Atlanta, Ga. 30333.

1974.

This publication is the first of a series of annotated bibliographies being prepared in parallel with the development of reference methods for compounds that are commonly assayed in clinical laboratories. It has been prepared in collaboration with the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. The title is misleading as citations are limited to methods for the determination of

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December, 1977 BOOK REVIEWS 993 uric acid in biological fluids and values obtained on samples from normal subjects. A total of 238 papers dating from 1894 t o 1974 are listed and annotated. The sources of information are not stated but are probably similar to those used for the bibliography on glucose (see below). Citations are arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically by author within each year. The year covered is placed at the top of each page, but in this volume the pages are not numbered. Citations have identification numbers that are not consecutive and can, therefore, be used for cross-reference only if the year is also stated.

In general, the annotations contain sufficient detail to enable the reader to decide if the original paper should be consulted.

The bibliography is comprehensive within the limited field set by the authors and should be available in reference libraries, educational establishments and larger analytical laboratories.

An indexing system would have been advantageous.

R. S. ERSSER

GLUCOSE. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By NATHAN RADIN, ALYCE M. POLK, NELL M. Atlanta, Ga.: US Department of

Gratis, from the Technical Information Service, RICHARDSON and CLAUDIA B. LEWIS. Health, Education and Welfare. Clinical Chemistry Division, Center for Disease Control, 30-Cham, Atlanta, Ga. 30333.

This volume is the second in a series of bibliographies and contains both a letter of explanation and an introduction, which were absent from the previous volume on uric acid (see above).

Information was obtained by initial reference to the bibliographies of various texts and review articles followed by a computerised literature search of Chemical A bstyacts and Index Medicus. The period covered by the 905 citations is from 1841 to March, 1976. Approximately 90% of articles pertain to glucose methodology and the remainder are clinical papers describing glucose tolerance tests and normal values. The authors note that greater access to foreign journals during the past 15 years is reflected by the increased number of citations to foreign language papers during this period. The annotations are arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically by author within each year. The non-consecutive identification number system remains but an additional Author Index is included. Authors are listed alphabetically (only the first if more than two appear in the title) together with the year and citation identification number. Pages are numbered in this volume.

The survey of methods is comprehensive with the exception of an illogical approach to chromato- graphic techniques. It would have been reasonable to exclude these methods as they are un- suitable for the rapid analysis of the large numbers of samples submitted to most routine clinical laboratories. However, eight references to these methods are included and the basis for their selection is not readily apparent. Not a single reference is made to the chromatographic text- books that contain chapters on carbohydrate analysis, and anion-exchange procedures (e.g., Jolley et al., Am. J . Clin. Path., 1970, 53, 793) are ignored. The authors have been selective in the clinical papers included and, as with uric acid, metabolism is not discussed. Those listed present a balanced view of the subject.

The useful annotations provide a concise account of early papers that are of historical interest and not so readily available. The Author Index is a welcome addition to the format but a system of keywords and the coding of papers by method of analysis, etc., would be helpful when over 900 citations must be checked for specific information. This bibliography should be available in reference libraries, educational establishments and larger analytical laboratories.

Pp. iv + 224. 1976.

R. S . ERSSER

TOPICS IN CHEMICAL INSTRUMENTATION. 11. Edited by GALEN W. EWING. A volume of reprints from the Journal of Chemical Education. Pp. viii + 310. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society. 1977. Price $12.

Although deeply interested in chemical instrumentation, I have no claim a t all to being an educator and it is with some diffidence, therefore, that I review this book, which turns out to be the second volume of reprinted articles from the “Topics in Chemical Instrumentation” column in the Journal of Chemical Education. All articles from January 1970 to November 1975 are in- cluded, and they have been ordered, not chronologically, but by subject matter. Let me say at the outset that I value the policy of the journal in publishing a regular feature on this important

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994 BOOK REVIEWS Analyst, VoZ. 102 area of chemistry in general, and of analysis in particular ; what I cannot clearly discern is the audience to whom this collection is addressed. It is certainly not for the practising analyst, who needs up- to-date information on new techniques and instruments-“Current Trends in Gel Permeation Chromatography” from the July and August 1970 issues neatly makes the point. Equally it is not for the prospective purchaser of equipment, who can, for example, find fairly full details of what was available in the field of liquid chromatography in 1973. It could be a possible source for the chemical historian and indeed it does contain an article on “Sir Charles’ Bridge” (Wheat- stone, of course) ; but surely the historian would have access to the original journal.

This leaves me with the uncomfortable feeling that i t may be designed to satisfy some unful- filled need of the educator, a need of which, as I have already confessed, I am all too likely to be unaware. However, common sense dictates that although any individual is likely to find some articles of interest to him, the collection as a whole is bound to lack a unity of approach and the man with an interest in “lock-in amplifiers” is unlikely to want to know much about “the analysis of gases in metals.”

In summary then, while I am a great admirer of the original articles, I canno‘t see any point in collecting them retrospectively in a publication such as that under review. The whole purpose of the exercise escapes me and in these days of tight finances I cannot imagine many copies being purchased, at least in the UK. G. E. PENKETH

HAZARDS IN THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY. Second Edition. Edited by G. D. MUIR. Pp. xvi +

Among the more interesting side-effects of the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 was a growing realisation in the minds of many chemists that their concepts of safe laboratory practices were perhaps too ill-defined. Often they were based on the comfortable premises that the experienced worker knew about such matters and was unlikely to have accidents, except perhaps those involving unusual or esoteric reactions whose victims reported in somewhat astonished tones in the various scientific journals.

The appearance of the Second Edition of this book is therefore most timely and will be widely welcomed by practising chemists of all kinds. The basic format is similar to the First Edition with individual chapters on basic topics written by experts in the field, supplemented by “yellow pages,” greatly extended in this Second Edition, containing details for many individual chemicals of toxic and fire hazards, first-aid treatment, spillage disposal and so on. The chapters on plan- ning for safety, fire protection, safety in hospital biochemistry laboratories and precautions against radiations have been updated, while that on first aid has been entirely re-written to incorporate medical services. Among other things i t outlines the role of the Employment Medical Advisory Service and stresses the importance of having properly trained first aiders among the staff. Addi- tional chapters include a useful summary of the main implications of the 1974 Act, and an excellent chapter by Bretherick on reactive chemical hazards. I am less certain of the value of including the other new chapter, that on chemical hazards and toxicology, which deals with the more basic principles of the latter. While well written and indeed very interesting, I feel that i t lacks the immediate usefulness of the remainder of the book.

Overall the book is well edited and the essential information is clearly displayed and easily assimilated, and I would be most surprised if most chemical establishments were not to purchase a copy and find i t in very frequent use.

473. London: The Chemical Society. 1977. Price i 7 ; $14; CS members L5.25.

G. E. PENKETH

ANALYSIS INSTRUMENTATION. Volume 14. Edited by J . F. COMBS, R. W. SIMS and F. MARTIN. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual I S A Analysis Instrumentation Symposium, M a y 9-12, 1976, S a n FYancisco, California. Pp. viii + 125. Pittsburgh, : Instrument Society of America. 1976. Price L9.76; $16.50.

It consists of the abstracts of papers presented at a meeting held in May, 1976, each averaging 3 pages of typescript and 2 pages of figures, which is enough to whet the appetite but not to satisfy it. No doubt fuller accounts will appear in appropriate journals in due course, but all that the present volume records is the bare bones of what must have been a very interesting meeting about the frontiers of instrumental analysis. D. BETTERIDGE

It is difficult to see why this is offered to the public as a book.

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December, 1977 BOOK REVIEWS 995

XVIII COLLOQUIUM SPECTROSCOPICUM INTERNATIONALE. PLENARY LECTURES PRESENTED AT THE XVIII COLLOQUIUM SPECTROSCOPICUM INTERNATIONALE, GRENOBLE, FRANCE, 15-19 SEPTEMBER, 1975. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (Physical Chem- istry Division) in conjunction with Groupement pour 1’Avancement des Mkthodes Spectro- scopiques et Physico-Chimiques d’ilnalyse (GAMS). Edited by J. P. ROBIN. Pp. vi + 82. Oxford, New York, Toronto, Sydney, Paris and Frankfurt: Pergamon Press. 1976. Price $8; L4.45.

As stated in the title, this volume contains seven Plenary Lectures presented at the XVIII Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale held a t Grenoble in 1975. They are reproduced from Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1976, 48, 45-126. Three of the articles are in French and the others in English. A wide range of spectroscopic subjects is covered, as would be expected from the conference at which the lectures were presented. The subjects include X-ray spectroscopy (L. S. Birks), Mossbauer Spectroscopy (C. Janot), fluorimetric methods (D. N. Kramer), emission spectroscopy-sources (E. PlSko) and instrumentation (M. Soutef) electron spectroscopy (K. Siegbahn) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (W. Voelter). All but one of the papers are of the review type and present excellent up-to-date material. The fluorimetric and emission spectroscopic papers are relatively short and would not provide a reason for purchasing the whole book. All of the other papers are excellent general reading material, provide a state of the art review of these techniques and can be recommended. J. M. OTTAWAY

COLORIMETRIC AND FLUORIMETRIC ANALYSIS OF STEROIDS. By J. BARTOS AND M. PESEZ. Pp. xii + 274. London, New York and San Francisco: Academic Press. 1976. Price k9.80; $21.50.

This book is a compilation of reactions with colorimetric or fluorimetric end-points for use in the determination of steroids. The application of selected reactions to measurement of particular functional groups in steroids is first reviewed. The authors then provide a brief description of the reactions of steroids with mineral acids before returning to survey the use of particular reactions when applied to groups of steroids. Within each chapter, methods for individual members of a group are listed and selected procedures are provided.

The authors are careful to distinguish between 8-oestradiol and oestradiol-17,3, but their use of the terms ‘‘ 17-ketol steroid” and “17-ketol-17-hydroxy steroids” merits only condemnation. Similarly, the absorbance of coloured solutions is frequently used without reference to the units of concentration.

The Preface implies that i t was written for pharmacists, biochemists and clinical biochemists seeking a reaction to apply to a new and parti- cular problem. On reading, it offers little help with typical analytical problems. Many of the reactions quoted were devised in attempts to measure individual steroids in mixtures before chromatographic techniques applicable to microgram amounts of steroids had become almost second nature. Development of such techniques in the 1950s provided the necessary analytical specificity for progress and many of the reactions described were then superseded. Consideration of chromatography was judged to be outside the scope of the book and its absence lends an air of unreality to any discussion of procedures specific to particular steroids.

Another restriction that detracts from the book is the exclusion of ultraviolet spectrometry. Why give details of the reaction of progesterone with 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (p. 28) when simple absorption in the near-ultraviolet region (240 nm) is adequate to measure 2 x mol l-l? Sentences such as, “Techniques based on the reaction of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine or with isoniazid are the most commonly used” (p. 162) may be accurate within the terms of reference of the book, but are misleading in a wider context. The failure to take into account the chromophoric contributions of non-steroidal material extracted from biological samples is another weakness. Such problems frequently face biochemists and clinical biochemists and provide much of the chal- lenge for those involved in developing or applying methods. Nevertheless, these problems are rarely mentioned, even in the selected procedure sections. The reason for this omission becomes clear in the later chapters of the book, clearly aimed at analysis of “tablets,” which present rather different problems.

Overall, I believe this to be an unnecessary book.

The title implies that it is about analysis.

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996 BOOK REVIEWS

A few of the methods and reactions referred to in the book are still with us, but most have been relegated to the dusty corners of laboratory and library. Perhaps i t is worth more than a passing thought that most of today’s cherished methods too will inevitably be consigned to similar places. R. E. OAKEY

THE CONDENSED CHEMICAL DICTIONARY. Ninth Edition. Revised by GESSNER G. HAWLEY. New York, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, London, Toronto

The Ninth Edition of this well known American dictionary contains over 20 000 entries, most of which include technical data and descriptive information rather than simple definitions. A particular feature is the inclusion of a wide range of trade-names with over 500 manufacturers, which provides a useful guide to American sources of chemical products. Other useful information includes grades of materials, containers, hazards (flammability, toxicity, tissue irritation, exposure limits, FDA rulings), uses and shipping regulations, although most of the details refer to American practice. P. C. WESTON

Pp. xvi + 957. and Melbourne: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1977. Price fT26.35.

LIQUID SCINTILLATION COUNTING. Volume 4. Edited by M. A. CROOK and P. JOHNSON. Pro- ceedings of a Symposium on Liquid Scintillation Counting organised by the Radiochemical Methods Group (Analytical Division, The Chemical Society), Bath, England, September 16-19, 1975. Pp. x + 269. London, New York and Rheine: Heyden. 1977. Price L16; $32; DM102.50.

Publication of symposium papers on liquid scintillation counting (LSC) has become a regular occurrence which is not always justified, particularly, as in this instance, when there is a delay of about 18 months. The papers in this fourth volume are of variable quality and at least half of them probably would not have been published if submitted to a reputable journal. The delay in publication could have been used to convert the lectures into acceptable written papers with editing of some figures to provide adequate labelling and to eliminate proof errors. The inclusion of an abstract a t the start of each paper would be valuable in the next volume.

The book is divided into five parts, with a total of 21 chapters, and I have selected the more important contributions for comment. Part I is concerned with the underlying scintillation pro- cesses. Birks presents a timely review of impurity quenching, in which he stresses the importance of the Stern - Volmer coefficient rather than efficiency changes in assessing a quenching effect. The intention of Malcolm and Stanley to provide a systematic understanding of LSC through stochastic computer modelling is good in concept but in their two long papers they fail to provide a complete analysis, which should include the effect of photomultiplier statistics on the output. This makes publication somewhat premature. In Part I1 there are two excellent papers on practical techniques. The first, by Johnson, Rising and Twite, describes a simple modification to a commercial sample oxidiser to provide differentiation between tritium in body water and tritium present as the parent compound or metabolites. The second paper, by Bakay, provides for the essential adaptation of the LSC technique for use with automatic analysers. He uses gel spacers to separate a continuous flow of scintillator from an analyser (e.g., a chromatographic column) and so avoids sample mixing and contamination as the gel provides a continuous method of clean- ing. Radio- immunoassay features in Part I11 and the main problem appears to be the solubilisation of protein materials. In Part IV I was most impressed by the review of low-level counting by Noakes, who really covers the field from sample containers to pulse shaping for a-counting. It is necessary for all practitioners in the field of LSC to realise its limitations and specify the accuracy of their results. In Part V, Currie provides the basis for this assessment with a discussion of merit deter- mination as well. This chapter required more explanation and justification of some of the equations but is an important contribution to the subject, with a wealth of references. Case, Barnfield and Reeves present a sound approach to assessing the accuracy of measurements when the sample counting rate is low. There is a meagre Subject Index, which provides little assistance for finding topics within chapters.

Overall there are some important contributions to the field of LSC but on the evidence presented in this volume I agree with the Editors that future symposia in the series should be widened to the more general field of scintillation counting.

This important advance also reduces costs through the elimination of counting vials.

J. A. B. GIBSON

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