Editorial. Analytical Chemistry and Our Environment - ACS Publications

Managing Editor: John K. Crum. Associate Editor: ... Advertising Management. REINHOLD. PUBLISHING ... involved in such projects. Both from the idealis...
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A NA LVTICA L EDITORIAL

November 1969,Vol. 41,No. 13 Editor:

H E R B E R T A. LAITINEN

EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Washington, D.C. 20036 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone: 202-737-3337 Teletype: WA 23 M a n a g i n g Editor: John K. Crum Associate Editor: Virginia E. Stewart Editorial Assistants: Eugenie C. Callaghan, Ana Sol de GutiCrrez C o n t r i b u t i n g Editor: Ralph H. Miiller (Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge) PRODUCTION STAFF Director of Design: Joseph Jacobs P r o d u c t i o n Manager: Bacil Guiley Associate P r o d u c t i o n Manager: Charlotte C. Sayre A r t a n d Layout: Norman W. Favin NEW YORKOFFICE 733 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 212-867-3161 Associate Editor: Josephine M. Petruzzi EDITORIAL PRODUCTION OFFICE,EASTON,PA. Assistant Editor: Elizabeth R. Rufe ADVISORYBOARD: Klaus Biemann, A. E. Cameron Lyman Craig Henry Freiaer John Fdnkhouser, Marcel Golay, D. R: Johnson Joseph Jordan D W Margerum Oster’ oung, R. L: W. Wayhe Meinke, R. Pecsok, C. N. Reilley, A. Lee Jmith, James D. Winefordner

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AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS Director of Publications, Richard L. Kenyon Director of Business Operations, Joseph H. Kuney Publication Manager, Journals, David E. Gushee Executive Assistant to the Director of Publications, Rodney N. Hader Circulation Director, Herbert C. Spencer Assistant to the Director of Publications, William Q. Hull REGIONAL EDITORIAL BUREAUS PHILADELPHIA Pa 19107 Philadelphia Natiobal Bank Building Broad & Chestnut Streets CHICAGO, Ill. 60603 36 South Wabash Ave. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. 94104 57 Post St. LOS ANGELES, Calif. 90005 422 South Western Ave. HOUSTON, Texas 77002 514 Main Bldg. 1212 Main St. FRANKFURT/MAIN, West Germany 32 Grosse Bockenheimerstrasse LONDON, W. C. 2, England 27 John Adam St. TOKYO, Japan Iikura Central Building, 4th Floor 12 Iikura Kata-machi, Azabu Minato-ku, Tokyo Advertising Management REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORP. (for Branch Offices,see page 142 A)

Analytical Chemistry and Our Environment he ACS Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs has recently issued an important report “Cleaning Our EnvironmentThe Chemical Basis for Action.” A summary of the report and its 73 recommendations has been published in C&EN, September 8, 1969, p. 58. The recommendations are divided into four categories: The Air Environment, with 33 recommendations; The Water Environment, with 23 recommendations ; Solid Wastes, with 9 recommendations; and Pesticides in the Environment, with 8 recommendations. Of these categories, four in the air environment category and two in the water environment category are specifically directed to research in analytical chemistry and instrumentation (see page 95A). I n addition, three others, which are not specifically labeled analytical, are concerned, respectively, with development of analytical methods for specific compounds produced by biological degradation, the development of more adequate methods for the separation of minute amounts of pesticides from water and air, and instrumentation for measuring automotive emissions. The majority of the other recommendations have direot or indirect analytical components. These include such topics as systematic measurement of contaminant levels, rates of removal of specific contaminants, development of standards, enforcement of standards, study of pollutant emissions in developing new combustion processes, studies of effects of air pollution on human and vegetable life, and many others. Obviously, a great deal of analytical research and development will be involved in such projects. Both from the idealistic viewpoint of involvement in programs directly related to human welfare and from the materialistic viewpoint of research support, the report and ilts recommendations deserve careful study and consideration by analytical chemists. Indeed, if the recommended research and development programs are to be successful, intensive analytical work of high competence will be required both as a service function and as a research and development function in its own righit.

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For submission of manuscripts, see page 2 A . ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 41, NO. 13, NOVEMBER 1969

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