Books
Thinking about analytical problems
Automatic Chemical Analysis Peter B. Stockwell and Warren T. Corns Taylor and Francis 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101 Bristol, PA 19007 1996, 239 pp.. $99
' In 1974, Stockwell co-authored a volume of the same title with the late James K. Foreman. The first edition was primarily an instrumental analysis text with a major emphasis on flow analysis techniques. The final ccapter, "Application oo Computers in Analytical Chemistry", presented a credible, if understandably conservative, vision of the tremendous impact digital computers would have on instrumentation and the storage and retrieval of analytical information. Unlike the first edition, the present volume advocates a more systems-oriented approach to chemical automation. To this end, Stockwell and Corns use Chapter 3 as a showcase for several more-or-less turnkey systems that solve specific chemical analysis problems in what they consider real-world settings. These examples make for enjoyable reading. We found the details of a cigarette smoking machine, in which the smoldering cigarette itself terminated the experiment by burning through a cotton thread attached to the stop switch particularly interesting. (We suspect that attaching the thread to the microswitch for every new ciffsrcttG rc~ mained a manual operation) In the midst of all this ingenuity, howS0003-2700(97)09024-0 CCC: $14.00 © 1997 American Chemical Society
ever, we found it difficult to swallow the pervasive assertions, in this chapter and throughout, that analytical chemists "have little, if any, experience in the general area of automation and computing". The book's major flaw is that it was updated very unevenly. More often than not, "recent" refers to instruments and methods that were new 10 to 20 years ago. The rationale for increased levels of laboratory automation presented in Chapter 1 has changed little since the first edition. A lengthy analysis of reagent cost savings afforded by automation, for example, involves circa 1970s air-segmented continuous-flow analyzers. Chapter 2 purports to deal with principles of automated analysis; but again, most of the material seems dated. For example, the number of FIA references extant as of 1995 is underestimated by an order of magnitude, and the assertion that "discrete analyzers are more demanding on maintenance than continuous [analyzers]" is questionable at best, given the current availability of cheap and reliable computer-controlled, stepper motor-driven dispensers and positioners. Specific mention of hardware in this chapter is unfortunate, because it leaves the impression of obsolescence PVPT1 for relatively up-to-date equipment for example 'Today's Pentium [processors] with 100-MHz internal clocks and 500-megabyte hard disks" The remaining chapters on automatic sample preparation and separation techniques (several prominently featured devices in this chapter are no longer available commercially), automated atomic spectroscopy, robots and computers, and examples of automatic systems, present little new or current knowledge. The final chapter on the future of automatic analysis reads more like a history lesson. A subject index includes a few names but no separate author index. A short glossary lists vendors' names, including some labeled as "no longer trading".
Nonetheless, from time to time it is worthwhile to assess the potential of new technology to revitalize old and abandoned tools and techniques. In this respect, perhaps this book may succeed in its stated objective "to [make readers] think about [their analytical] problems and to review objectively how to solve them." Reviewed by Charles J. Patton, U.S. Geological Survey, and Purnendu K. Dasgupta, Texas Tech University
BOOKS RECEIVED Capillary Electrophoresis in Biotechnology and Environmental Analysis H. Parvez, P. Caudy, S. Parvez, and P. Roland-Gosselin, Eds. VSP P.O. Box 346 3700 AH Zeist The Netherlands 1997, 484 pp.. $154
The 16 chapters in this book include CE/ MS, preconcentration techniques, protein folding, CE-LIF, peptide mapping, analysis of drugs by MEKC, protein-drug binding, chiral separations, process monitoring, and detecting inorganic anions. Biosensors: An Introduction Brian Eggins John Wiley & Sons 605 Third Ave. New York, NY 10158 1996, 212 pp.. $69.95
Topics covered in this book include biological elements, immobilization of biological components, transducers (three chapters on electrochemistry, optical methods, and other transducers), performance, applications, and experiments for students. An index is included.
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, September 1, 1997 5 5 5 A
