books and software
A Practical Survey of Extraction Methods Extraction Methods in Organic Analysis Edited by Alan J. Handley Sheffield Academic Press, Ltd. Mansion House 19 Kingfield Rd. Sheffield S11 9AS, United Kingdom 1998, 308 pp, $125 There have been many advances in analytical organic extractions— enough to warrant publishing a book on this topic. When I first read the preface to this book, I was very enthusiastic about reviewing it. But, by the time I finished my review, my enthusiasm had faded. Overall, the book presents a good survey of extraction methods and their applications and limitations. Although some chapters are better organized and referenced than others, there is a redundancy of introductory information. Also, many chapters lack a thorough discussion of principles, such as distribution equilibria, solution theory, stationary phases, adsorption, and diffusion. Nevertheless, the book is a good source of practical information on sample preparation and methods development. Twenty contributing authors from academic and industrial sectors contributed to the book’s 10 chapters. After a brief introductory chapter, chapters 2–6 discuss extraction methods and introduce principles, instrumentation, methods development, and applications. Chapter 2 covers classical solvent and membrane extraction; however, the discussion of secondary chemical equilibrium and the role of pH in extracting weakly acidic and basic organic solutes is lacking. The chapter also includes tables summarizing the various applications of the methods. Chapter 3 presents solid-phase extraction and its applications, and two tables summarizing column types and methods applications. Chapter 4 discusses solid-phase microextraction and membrane extraction with sorbent interface. Although the chapter is brief, it is the best-written one. However, applications of the methods are not covered in this chapter but rather later in chapter 10. Chapter 5 gives an over-simplified explanation of supercritical fluid extraction, and some well-known books on the topic are not listed. Chapter 6 briefly discusses pressurized fluid extraction, emphasizing soil and sediment analysis. Chapter 7 includes two tables summarizing the method application and efficiency of extraction with different solvent combinations. The final chapters present biological and pharmaceutical methods, polymers and their additives, and environmental analysis. However, chapter 10 rarely mentions severe matrix inter-
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ference problems from the presence of sulfur in sediments or due to humic and fulvic acids in sediments and water. Reviewed by Farida Saleh, University of North Texas
BOOKS RECEIVED Principles of Stable Isotope Distribution Robert E. Criss Oxford University Press 198 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016-4314 1999, 244 pp, $65 Organized into five chapters, each followed by suggested quantitative problems and a short reference list, this book seeks to reconnect the diverse observations of isotope distribution to the quantitative theories of physical chemistry. Case histories are de-emphasized and replaced with translations of the principles of statistical and classical thermodynamics, kinetics, and diffusion theory into the dialect of isotope distribution. This book should serve as a textbook and research reference for advanced students. Chromatography of Polymers Edited by Theodore Provder Oxford University Press 198 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016-4314 1999, 323 pp, $120 Improved chromatographic methods and data analyses are the result of the increasing complexity of polymeric materials. In this volume of the ACS symposium series, better methods such as improved hyphenated and multidimensional techniques, improvements in column technology, better field-flow fractionation and liquid chromatographic methods, and overall analysis of polymer applications are covered.
SOFTWARE RECEIVED AutoSignal 1.5 SPSS 233 S. Wacker Dr., 11th Floor Chicago, IL 60606 800-543-2185 http://www.spss.com
