Trace element analysis

The purpose of this book is to try to help research workers in physics and chemistry laboratories (and their students) in their efforts to improve analytical techniques. It begins by showing them some of the many interesting problems that arise is astrophysics, the environmental sciences, biology, medicine and technology. Very often the characteristic properties of a complex system are derived from the presence or absence of specific elements at the part-per-million level. Numerous examples and references are given in the chapters dealing with these subjects. Advances in analytical techniques are described in the later chapters, on activation analysis, optical methods, X-ray spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. They show what can be measured, and how accurately. Potential users will find the principles of these methods explained, with detailed references, and should also find sufficient further information to help them in making a decision as to the method most appropriate to a particular problem of their own. (author)