NEWS
Endowment Funds Sought for Kolthoff Awards The Division of Analytical Chemistry is asking for donations to establish an endowment for the Kolthoff Enrichment Awards for Undergraduate Studies. Established in 1989 by the Division, the awards recognize outstanding junior-year-level students who plan to pursue careers in analytical chemistry. Over the past two years the Division has provided funds ranging from $500 to $1000 for 11 student awards. The endowment would provide a more stable source of funds. Contributions by check should be made out to the Division of Analytical Chemistry and sent to Division treasurer David Curran, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. Include a note to indicate that the funds are for the Kolthoff endowment. The Division has issued a special appeal for donations from I. M. KolthofFs professional progeny. In addition, a genealogy delineating Kolthoffs scientific offspring through several generations is being compiled by Herbert Laitinen, who asks t h a t anyone with information contact him at the Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (904-392-0541, FAX 904-392-8758). Information about nominations for the award can be found in the August 1 N E W S .
Small College Grants Small colleges with enrollments of 2500 students or less are invited to apply for the 1991 Pittsburgh Conference Memorial National College Grants Awards. The grants can be used for the purchase of scientific equipment, teaching aids, and/or library materials, but not exclusively for research materials. Schools receiving grants in previous years are not eligible for another award for three years. The grants are supported by the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, At least 10 schools will receive awards, which can be for as much as $3000. For more information, contact Paul Bauer, Pittsburgh Conference—-PCMNCG, 300 Penn Center Blvd., Suite 332, Pittsburgh, PA 15235. Applications must be submitted by March 1,1991.
Methane Surprise Unusually high levels of methane have been detected in cities within eastern Europe by researchers from the University of California at Irvine. Methane, a key contributor to the greenhouse effect, increased in the atmosphere during the 1980s at the rate of 1% per year. Unlike other greenhouse gases, methane's lifetime in the atmosphere is short— about 10 years. The University of California scientists estimate that a 10% reduction in methane emissions could stabilize the global concentration of the gas. The methane measurements were directed by atmospheric chemist
F. Sherwood Rowland, a pioneer in recognizing the danger of chlorofluorocarbons to the ozone layer. Sherwood's team collected air samples at ground level for the study and analyzed them by GC. High methane levels were found in Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, and Prague. Lower levels of methane, comparable to U.S. values, were measured in Vienna and Zagreb. The researchers attribute the high methane levels to poor controls on the transport and handling of natural gas.
Nuclear Waste Agreement The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have signed an agreement that pledges cooperation in the area of environmental restoration and nuclear waste management. The agreement, signed in Austria, identifies several areas of cooperation that are being clarified in joint meetings. Cooperative areas may include analyses and investigations related to waste partitioning to facilitate permanent disposal as well as analyses and investigations related to geologic disposal of radioactive waste.
For Your Information The Design Institute for Physical Property Data (DIPPR) Data Compilation of Pure Compound Properties, 1990, has been expanded to include 39 properties on 1117 chemicals. For more information, contact the Standard Reference Data Program, A320 Physics Bldg., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (301-975-2208). Spectra-Physics is offering a free grants assistance program to aid researchers and teachers at not-for-profit institutions in securing monies for chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, or data management systems. For more information, call 301-345-8256. Paul Lauterbur of the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign will receive the first Bower Award for Achievement in Science (see February 15 N E W S ) . Lauterbur, a leader in the development of magnetic resonance imaging, will receive $290 000 and a gold medal. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Press has published five new books: DORA '90-'91: Directory of Rare Analyses, Clinical Chemistry Quiz, The Laboratory Pocket Guide to Abused Drugs, Hazardous Waste: Facts and Fallacies, and Impact of AIDS on the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory. For more information, contact Mona Alcazar, AACC, Dept. PR, 2029 K St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006. NIST is offering four new glass density standard reference materials for calibrating densitometers and other instruments. Each standard has a density value certified to the sixth place. For more information, contact Standard Reference Materials Program, Room 204, Bldg. 202, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (301-975-6776, FAX 301-948-3730).
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 62, NO. 2 1 . NOVEMBER 1, 1990 • 1099 A
