Trace Environmental Quantitative Analysis: Including Student-Tested Experiments

A thorough and timely update, this new edition presents principles, techniques, and applications in this sub-discipline of analytical chemistry for quantifying traces of potentially toxic organic and inorganic chemical substances found in air, soil, fish, and water, as well as serum, plasma, urine, and other body fluids. The author addresses regulatory aspects, calibration, verification, and the statistical treatment of analytical data including instrument detection limits; quality assurance/quality control; sampling and sample preparation; and techniques that are used to quantify trace concentrations of organic and inorganic chemical substances.

Key Features:

• Fundamental principles are introduced for the more significant experimental approaches to sample preparation
• Principles of instrumental analysis (determinative techniques) for trace organics and trace inorganics analysis
• An introduction to the statistical treatment of trace analytical data
• How to calculate instrument detection limits based on weighted least squares confidence band calibration statistics
• Includes an updated series of student-tested experiments

Paul R. Loconto holds a PhD. in analytical chemistry and an MS in physical chemistry. He has published 35 peer-reviewed papers in analytical chemistry and in chemical education. He has given over 40 talks and poster presentations at various workshops, meetings, and conferences.

After brief stints at the American Cyanamid Co., Stamford, CT, and the Dow Chemical Co., Midland, MI, in 1974, Dr. Loconto began teaching introductory, environmental, general and organic chemistry at Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY. He joined NANCO Environmental Services in Wappingers Falls, NY, as R&D manager in 1986. In 1990, he joined the Michigan Biotechnology Institute in Lansing. In 1992, he became the laboratory manager for the graduate program in Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University, East Lansing, where he conducted analytical method development for both the NIEHS analytical core and the EPA Hazardous Substance Research Center while coordinating the development of an instructional analytical laboratory for the graduate school.

In 2001, he joined the Michigan Department of Community Health, Bureau of Laboratories, as a Laboratory Scientist Specialist. Here, in addition to training new employees on how to use GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, and GC-AED instruments, as well as SPE sample prep techniques, he taught co-workers how to satisfy QA/QC requirements. He focused on developing analytical methods for biomonitoring while conducting trace quantitative analysis in support of the Laboratory Response Network for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

He retired in late 2013, yet continues as a consultant, educator, and writer.