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Analytical Mass Spectrometry: Strategies for Environmental and Related Applications William L. Budde Copublished by the American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, and Oxford University Press, New York 2001, 386 pp., $125 ISBN 0-8412-3664-X As detailed in the introductory chapter, mass spectrometry can trace its beginnings in environmental sample analysis to the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, as well as to the 1970 creation of the U.S. EPA. In fact, the birth of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) as an analytical technique was funded largely through analyses required by environmental legislation passed in the 1970s. The EPA developed the GC/MS methodology that over the next 20 years allowed most organic priority pollutants to be routinely identified and determined. The author calls this time the “golden age of environmental mass spectrometry”. General issues for any environmental analytical method are covered in chapter 2. Criteria for mass spectral tuning, identification, detection limit determination, quantification, and various aspects of quality assurance and control are discussed. The limitations and benefits of MS are compared with those of other standard detectors. © 2002 American Chemical Society
Chapters 3 and 4 outline standard full-scan GC/MS methods for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds that are amenable to separation by GC. These approaches to determine the origins, fates, and chemical characteristics of environmental pollutant classes are discussed in some detail. These chapters also introduce sample preparation techniques, such as liquid–liquid extraction, accelerated solvent extraction for semivolatiles, and purge-and-trap and headspace analysis for volatiles. Both chapters contain valuable insight on problems commonly encountered with sampling, chromatography, and using MS to identify particular classes of analytes. Although standard GC/MS methods have been useful, many applications require better selectivity and sensitivity. Chapter 5 is accurately described by its title, “Strategies for Enhanced MS Capabilities, Ion Composition, Lower Detection Limits, Molecular Weight Determination, and Structure”. Some of the specific MS techniques that implement these strategies are positive and negative chemical ionization, high-resolution MS, and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Chapter 6 identifies techniques to introduce difficult species directly to the mass spectrometer, such as direct exposure/insertion probes, field desorption, fast atom bombardment, desorption and matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI). The chapter also introduces condensed-phase separation techniques, such as liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, and the various interfaces to the mass spectrometer, including particle beam, electrospray, thermospray, and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. Chapter 7 covers inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) for elemental analyses. The most common approach is to determine total elemental abundance in a sample on the basis of accurate ion mass
and isotopic ratio measurements. Chromatographic separation of individual chemical species helps identify the speciation of elements, including arsenic, tin, and mercury. Chapter 8 concludes the volume with a discussion of continuous and discrete measurements of air and water samples. Considerations in the design of fieldportable MS laboratories and several sampling techniques, including membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS), are briefly discussed. The book is a valuable review of the interplay of societal demands for pollution reduction, remedial legislation, the identification of priority pollutants by government agencies, and the evolution of MS instruments and environmental measurement techniques. By providing sufficient but not overpowering detail, the book serves as a convenient introduction to environmental mass spectrometry for novice laboratory chemists or managers. All chapters contain adequate references to further investigate early literature on the individual topics. Reviewed by Robert D. Brittain, Varian Analytical Instruments, 2700 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek, Calif. 94598, USA.
Web Site The Office of Hazardous Material Safety (http://hazmat.dot.gov) is a component of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration that deals with hazardous materials (HAZMAT) safety. The office is responsible for coordinating a national safety program for transporting HAZMAT by air, rail, highway, and water. Links for risk management present risks of HAZMAT and nonhazardous materials truck shipment accidents and incidents. Regulators, shippers, carriers, and emergency response personnel would find particular links in assessing and managing risk helpful.
JUNE 1, 2002 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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