trac trends in analytical chemistry volume 8 issue 2 1989 [doi 10.1016_0165-9936(89)87030-x] p. van...
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8/10/2019 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry Volume 8 issue 2 1989 [doi 10.1016_0165-9936(89)87030-x] P. Van Espen -- S
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tr end.s n analy ti cal hemist ry , ol. 8, no. 2, 989
*
i
primer for many people.
This is a well balanced text which
pays due attention to the theory
while also providing a comprehen-
sive range of examples.
The
biochemist however, may be a little
disappointed with the text as only
one section deals with a large mole-
cule, namely motional consider-
ations in DNA. It is rather unfortu-
nate that the editors chose not to in-
clude a section on at least one aspect
of modern protein analysis.
JOHN REGLINSKI
J. Reglin ski is at he Depart ment of Pure
and Appli ed Chemistry , Uni versit y of
Strat hclyde, Glasgow Gl I XL , V. K.
An overly extensive treatment?
On-column Injecti on in Capil lary
Gas Chromatography, by Konrad
Grob, Hi it hi g, 1987, DM 188.00 (xx
+ 591 pages) I SBN 3-7785-1551-9
This book, one of the Chroma-
tographic Methods series, follows an
earlier volume by the same author on
split and splitless injection. The pres-
ent volume is 591 pages in length,
subdivided into three main sections;
(A) on-column injection, (B) solvent
effects, and (C) retention gap ef-
fects.
Each of these topics is dealt with in
such verbose detail that the impres-
sion is gained of an author simply
writing down his
immediate
thoughts. There is little or no evi-
dence of subsequent editorial inter-
vention which would have condensed
the text to a reasonable size without
any loss of real information. Indeed,
the author stresses in his introduction
that this is not a book to be read from
beginning to end. It is a reference
book, and fortunately the style is
partially redeemed by the inclusion
of summarised instructions and gui-
delines printed in grey fields. Also,
summaries of important conclusions
are printed in bold-faced typescript.
Section A includes a historical intro-
duction, a detailed discussion of the
sample introduction process, injec-
tion design,
on-column syringes,
band broadening in space, solvent ef-
fects, involatile sample by-products,
and high oven temperatures. The
section gives simplified guidelines for
on-column injection and concludes
with an evaluation of the technique,
including its accuracy and realibility.
Section B deals with the effects of
solvent trapping and phase soaking
and how to avoid peak broadening
and distortion. Section C is devoted
to retention gap techniques, first dis-
cussing the purpose of using an un-
coated column inlet and then the
mechanism of solute reconcentration
using retention gaps. Practical topics
such as their required length and
preparation are treated extensively,
as are connections between capil-
laries and on-column injection of
large sample volumes. Automated
79
on-column injection is also de-
scribed.
Each of the three main sections of
the book is separately referenced,
with a total of 183 references
throughout. There are two appen-
dices; one is a useful trouble-shoot-
ing appendix and the other a glossary
of terminology. Numerous line dia-
grams illustrate mechanisms and ef-
fects and on the whole these are well-
drawn and easy to follow. On-col-
umn injection is fraught with trouble-
shooting problems, particularly in re-
lation to peak distortion or peak
splitting and the use of diagrams to il-
lustrate these problems is an invalua-
ble feature.
As a chromatographer who has
been closely associated with the de-
velopment of gas chromatography
since its inception in the early 1950s
this reviewer was left rather be-
mused by the extensive treatment of
the subject, much of which seemed to
be rather obvious common-sense and
simple scientific logic. Nevertheless,
the author is an acknowledged ex-
pert in this area, and who has studied
all aspects of capillary injection in
minute detail from a very practical
viewpoint. There is no doubt that
there is much useful information in
the book and certainly it will prove to
be the definitive reference work on
the subject of on-column injection.
D. W. GRANT
D. W. Grant is a Chromatography Con-
sultant at Chrompack UK Lt d., 14 Kel-
burn Av enue, Wal ton, Chesterfi eld ,
Derbyshi re S40 3DG, V. K.
Statistics in practice
Stat isti cs or Analyt ical Chemistr y, by
J. C. M il ler and J. N. M il ler, Ell is
Ho rw ood, 2nd ed., 1988, 9.95
(paperback)l L 26.50 (hard cover)
(227 pages) ISBN o-7458-0292-3
(paperback), 0-7458-0271-O (hard
cover)
Looking at the title of this book, one
might think Yet another book about
statistics for analytical chemistry.
The authors must have anticipated
this as the preface begins with the
sentence To add yet another volume
to the already numerous texts on sta-
tistics might seem to be an unwar-
ranted excercise . . .
The emphasis is on the practical
use of statistical methods and theo-
retical aspects are almost completely
omitted. Many paragraphs start with
a sentence like: The operation of
this test is most easily demonstrated
by an example . . . For each of the
statistical procedures discussed,
good practical advice on its use and
limitations is given. These statistical
common sense expositions give this
book its value. An interesting aspect
of the book is that nearly all of the
numerous examples are made with
real data provided by research
papers published in The Analyst.
This certainly makes the examples
more appealing for a chemist to read.
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8/10/2019 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry Volume 8 issue 2 1989 [doi 10.1016_0165-9936(89)87030-x] P. Van Espen -- S
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80
trendsn analy ti cal chemi stry , vol . 8, no. 2,1989
c
Indeed, many books in this field
explain statistical concepts on a theo-
retical base, leaving the reader with
complicated formulae and expres-
sions, but without the knowledge of
where to apply them. This book is
clearly intended for the practitioner
of analytical chemistry. The required
background knowledge is limited to
very elementary mathematics and
chemistry. It will be a useful addition
to the laboratory library for a quick
reference to the how and why of a
simple statistical procedure or test. It
might serve equally well as a text
book on elementary statistics in a
course on analytical chemistry or
chemometrics.
This 227 page book is thin enough
not to scare people off reading it, yet
remarkably complete and useful.
The first three chapters deal with the
elementary
statistical procedures
and examples are taken mostly from
classical wet analytical chemistry.
Chapter 1 and 2 elaborate on random
and systematic errors, their distribu-
tion and propagation. Chapter 3 ex-
plains very clearly, the use of the tra-
ditional significance tests: t-test,
F-
test, Chi-square test and analysis of
variance. In chapter 4 some ideas
about sampling are presented, fol-
lowed by a discussion on collabora-
tive trials and control charts. Al-
though this chapter seems a bit het-
erogeneous, it serves as a good intro-
duction into this subject, which is of-
ten overlooked in many textbooks.
Chapter 5 addresses problems re-
lated to instrumental analysis, with
emphasis on calibration. Again so-
phisticated techniques are not con-
sidered, but an excellent treatment is
given on linear regression, limits of
detection and standard addition. The
next chapter is entirely devoted to
non-parametric tests such as the sign
test, the Wald-Wolfowitz run test,
the Wilcoxon rank tests and the Kol-
mogorov test. An interesting para-
graph deals with non-parametric re-
gression methods. Finally, chapter 7
tries to get the reader interested in
more advanced procedures. About
half of the chapter is devoted to ex-
perimental design, followed by some
ideas on optimization and pattern
recognition. The complexity of these
topics, as well as the limited amount
of space devoted to them, makes this
chapter less practical and less useful
than the others. Hopefully, it will en-
courage the reader to study further.
authors appreciation of the refer:
ence is given, which Z valued highly.
Each chapter concludes with a
number of exercises, the solution of
which is given at the end of the book.
The answers are not limited to the
correct numerical value; ample ex-
planation is also given.
Appendix 1 is a useful table that
summarizes a number of statistical
tests, grouped according to their ap-
plication. Table entries are Name of
the test,
Used to test whether,
Refer to page and Comments. Ap-
pendix 2 contains 16 (short) statis-
tical tables covering all the tests ex-
plained in the book.
Because of its concept, stressing
applications and examples rather
than theory, this book has indeed its
place and is not just yet another
book on statistics in analytical chem-
istry. Analytical chemists who have
read this book will certainly commit
fewer crimes against statistics in their
work if they follow the good advice
spread out over the pages of this
book.
P. VAN ESPEN
References at the end of each
chapter tend to cite monographs
P. Van Espen is at the Department of
Chemistry, University of Antwerpen
rather than research papers. Some
UIA), Universiteitsplein I, B-2610 Ant-
indication about the content and the
werpen Wilrijk), Belgium.
Books received
Review copies of the following books
have been received. The appearance
of a book in this list does ot preclude
the possibility of it being reviewed in
the future.
: ;eir piele zur D atenanalyse mi t BASIC-Program-
men, by G. Henrion, A. Henrion and R. Henrion,
VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin,
1988,6 + 363 pp., ISBN 3-326-00272-6, DM 34.00.
Spectroscopic Properties
of
Inorganic and Organo-
metall ic Compounds, Vol. 21, senior reporters: G.
Davidson and E. A. V. Ebsworth, Royal Society of
Chemistry, London, 1988, viii + 509 pp., ISBN
O-85186-193-8, f 120.00, US 240.00.
Experimental Toxicology, edited by D. Anderson
and D. M. Conning, Royal Society of Chemistry,
London, 1988, vii + 536 pp., ISBN O-85186-108-3,
f 69.50, US 138.00.
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, by R. Jenkins,
Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1988, v + 175 pp.,
ISBN O-471-83675-3, f 40.60.
A Guide to M aterials Characterizati on and Chemical
Analysis, edited by J. P. Sibilia, VCH Publishers,
Weinbeim, 1988, v + 318 pp., ISBN O-89573-269-6,
DM 75.00, f 29.95.
M aximum Concentrat ions at he Workpl ace and Bio-
logical Tol erance Values or Worki ng M aterials 1988.
Report N o. XXIV. Commission for the Investigation
of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the
Work Area, VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim,
1988,5 + 90 pp., ISBN 3-527-27366-2, DM 28.00.
M acrophage Pl asma M embrane Recepto rs: Struct ure
and Functi on, edited by S. Gordon (.I. CeliSci., 1988,
supplement 9), The Company of Biologists Limited,
Cambridge, 1988,l + 211 pp., ISBN: o-948601-13-2,
f 29.00, US 50.00.
Subcellul ar B iochemist ry, Vol . 13, Fluor escence
Studies on Biol ogical M embranes, edited by H. J.
Hilderson, Plenum, New York, 1988, v + 465 pp.,
ISBN o-306-42940-3, US 85.00.
Bioanaly sis of Drugs and Metaboli tes, especiall y
Anti-f lammatory and Cardiovascular,
edited by E.
Reid, _I. D. Robinson and I. D. Wilson, Plenum,
New York, 1988, v + 415 pp., ISBN O-3-6-42996-9,
US 89.50.
Develooment in Solvent Extraction, edited by S. Ale-
gret, E%is Horwood, Chichester, 1988, 6 + 221 pp..
ISBN o-7458-0303-2 f 30.00.
M ethods in Enzymology, by S. P. Colowick and N.
0. Kaplan, Vol. 140, Cumulative Subject Index Vol-
umes 102-119, 121-134, Academic Press, San Diego,
1988, v + 288 pp., ISBN o-12-182040-8, US 85.00.
Selenium in M edicine and Biology, edited by J. Ntve
and A. Favier, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 1988, vi +
411 pp., ISBN 3-11-011770-3, DM 290.00.
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