Role of Analytical Chemists in Industry - 2
Role of Analytical Chemists in Industry - 2
Role of Analytical Chemists in Industry - 2
INTRODUCTION
The properties of every substance, from the air we breathe to the vast range of materials
and products which we use in our business and private lives are directly or indirectly a
function of chemical composition. These properties are influenced for better or worse, by the
presence or absence of one or more chemical species, sometimes at concentration levels
which are barely detectable. An adverse effect on properties may, in some situations, be a
matter of inconvenience to the user of a product or material; in other circumstances however
the consequences may be more serious, resulting in injury or even loss of life, not merely to
the user but to those around him. Consider the consequences of the failure in flight of a vital
component in an aircraft, the contamination of a foodstuff with a toxic metal or compound, or
the presence of even a few milligrams of asbestos per cubic meter in the air we breathe.
Chemical composition however is not just associated with risk of injury. The commercial value
of virtually all materials and many products is related to their content of intrinsically valuable
substances (e.g. a precious metal) or to their suitability for the purpose for which they are
intended and this almost invariably is a function of how closely they adhere to a
compositional specification.
It is obvious therefore that chemical composition in many instances decides the value of
products and materials which form the basis of national and international trade. As a
consequence, it is not surprising that there are more government regulations, standard
specifications and trading agreements associated with chemical composition than all other
properties put together. They would have little meaning however if composition could not be
established conveniently and to a degree of reliability satisfactory to all the parties
concerned. It is here that analytical chemistry plays its role.
It is a well established scientific principle that one should, when discussing a subject, define
ones terms and ‘analytical chemistry’ should not be treated any differently. There is a slight
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problem however because, despite the tens of thousands of persons throughout the world
who would claim to be analytical chemists, the profession as a whole has shown a marked
reluctance to define itself, principally because it is felt that any formal definition would be
either too restrictive or too broad to be meaningful. A definition which, it is suggested, would
seem to describe the major part of the spectrum of activities which are covered by the term
analytical chemistry could be written as follows:
Two points in the definition merit comment. Firstly, the analytical chemist is concerned with
established chemical species; it is not his function to determine the structure of hitherto
unknown compounds and secondly, the scope of analytical chemistry extends well beyond
establishing composition on an elemental basis. In practice, the analytical chemist must
differentiate between elements in free and ionic form, between valence states, between
complexed and uncomplexed metals, between stereoisomers and between phases in
complex mixtures.
Table 1 gives some examples of the latter point and also illustrates the importance of being
able to distinguish between the different forms in which elements can be found.
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Analytical chemistry has been practiced in crude form from ancient times but began to develop
as an objective exercise during the 17th century. Table 2 lists some of the milestones in its
development. For those interested in historical aspects of the subject, references 1 – 4 are a
selection of the literature on the history of analytical chemistry.
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Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, analytical chemistry was largely empirical,
relying on experimental data which was not explained by theory. It was only from the
beginning of this century however that theories of solution chemistry, atomic structure,
spectroscopy, etc. began to offer theoretical explanations for established analytical
procedures and show the way for the development of others. Over the centuries, analytical
chemistry in fact developed alongside chemistry as a whole and there was little distinction
between the two. During this period Irish chemists played their part and some of the more
important names are given in Table 3. For more information on the Irish connection, two
excellent reviews have been published (5, 6).
In this century, analytical chemistry, like most other areas of science and technology, has
expanded at a rate that would have been incomprehensible to previous generations. For the
most part the theory of present day techniques developed ahead of the hardware. For
example, the principle of atomic absorption was known around the turn of the century but
had to await the development of the hollow cathode lamp and photomultiplier tubes to
become a practical proposition. Likewise, an Ag/AgCl ion selective electrode was described in
1937 but it was not until 1966 that one was built using silicone polymers which were not
available in 1937.
The development of analytical chemistry in terms of output of analytical data has increased
almost exponentially since the war. This is largely due to increasing demand by a more
informed society for more stringent control in the areas such as the environment, health and
safety, consumer protection etc. and the increased sophistication of the materials and
manufacturing techniques used in industry. This demand has led to a large increase in the
amount of research being carried out in analytical chemistry; in fact this area has the most
rapidly developing output of research literature of all the sciences, including chemistry as a
whole. This is demonstrated by the data on ‘doubling time’ for scientific literature which is
given in table 4. In keeping with other areas of technology, the output of analytical data has
been greatly facilitated by the automation made possible by the developments in the area of
microelectronics.
1650 - Use of H2 S
- Study of acid base indicators
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1750 - First titrations (gravimetric)
- First use of graduated burette
- First C, H analysis by combustion
- Detection of Cu by electrolysis (1800)
1800 - Start of emission spectroscopy
- Improvement in C, H analysis
- Dumas method for nitrogen
- Hardness of water
1850 - Ag/Cl titration improved
- Methyl orange and phenolphthalein
- Kjeldahl method for nitrogen
- Emission spectroscopy firmly established
- Beer-Lambert law
- Nernst equation
- Food and Drugs Acts 1860 and 1875
- appointment of public analysts
1900 - Theoretical basis of past and much of
present day Analytical Chemistry established
1950 Big developments in instrumental methods of
analysis including automation
1980
In Europe the situation varies from one country to another but in all there are facilities for the
teaching of analytical chemistry and research in universities and colleges of technology. For
those interested in the situation in Europe, the proceedings of a special session of education
in analytical chemistry held during Euroanalysis III in Dublin in 1978 provides a
comprehensive review (8).
Years
Analytical Chemistry 13.9
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Chemistry Total 14.5
Biology 16
Physics 19
Electrical Eng. 20
Psychology 25
A more realistic picture of an industrial process is given in Figure 2 which shows the many
areas other than simple quality control in which analytical chemists are involved. This
involvement need not necessarily be solely by in-house analytical chemists; in some cases,
persons external to the organisation will have a voluntary or statutory role to play in the
overall process. For example, the 1955 Factories Act (9) and the many regulations made
under it authorises inspectors from the Department of Labour to examine certain industries
which use or produce toxic or dangerous materials such as asbestos, silica dusts, benzene,
lead fumes, etc. The inspection normally includes the taking and analysis of samples of factory
atmospheres, materials in use and even the monitoring of the level of toxic substances in the
body fluids of workers. Similarly, not only the company’s own analytical chemists but those
from external agencies such as the Departments of the Environment and Health, An Foras
Forbatha and the IIRS may be involved in monitoring the disposal of gaseous liquid and solid
waste created in the process.
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The increasing cost of raw materials has led to an increased amount of recycling and it will be
the responsibility of the analytical chemist to ensure that the quality of the recycled waste is
suitable for reprocessing.
Packaging is an extremely important part of any industrial process and in recent years has
developed into an industry in its own right. Packaging materials serve a number of functions
the most important of which are to preserve product quality for a specified period – the ‘shelf
life’, to protect the product from physical damage while in transit or on display and to increase
customer appeal. Some of these functions may be in conflict. For example, with certain
foodstuffs, brightly printed wrappers may attract potential customers but unevaporated ink
solvent residues can taint the product. Some food packaging materials are controlled by law
to ensure that they do not transfer toxic substances to the foodstuff. A recent example of this
is an EEC Directive which limits the level of vinyl chloride monomer which may be in Food
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Packaging materials (10).
It is necessary therefore for packaging materials to be monitored for functional suitability and
for safety reasons in certain instances.
It is not intended to discuss the analytical chemist’s role in product development and trouble
shooting in the plant itself but in each of these areas he has an important support function to
other scientists and technologists.
An area in which the analytical chemist has an important, if often unrecognised involvement,
is in the semi-commercial area of product specification: changes to meet customer needs and
customer complaints involving no compliance with specification, unsuitability of the product for
his needs, contamination of the product, etc. Disputes between customer and supplier may
be resolved by negotiation but in many cases they can lead to litigation and involve ‘referee’
analyses by independent analytical laboratories. In these cases therefore analytical chemists
may find themselves involved in all the intrigue of litigation and their results being
instrumental in deciding the outcome of disputes involving thousands and even millions of
pounds. A very high degree of professional and scientific integrity must be exercised in
situations such as this.
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FOOD INDUSTRY
By way of example, special mention will be made of the role of analytical chemistry in the food
industry. This is appropriate for two reasons. Firstly, it is in the area of food quality that the
first legislation involving analytical chemistry was enacted and secondly, food production and
processing is our major industry.
Prior to 1860 the adulteration of food was widespread. Sometimes it involved the addition of
non nutritional materials (e.g. water to milk) but in other cases toxic substances were used.
For example compounds of lead, arsenic and mercury were used to enhance customer appeal
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of confectionery! (11, 12). In response to this situation, anti-adulteration legislation was
introduced in 1860 and 1875 (the 1875 act is still in force) and other legislation followed over
the years. To-day, a whole series of regulations are in force controlling the use of additives
and colours, permissible levels of contaminants such as toxic metals, pesticides, hormones,
mycotoxins, etc. (see table 7) (11).
A significant development in the field of analytical chemistry was the establishment of the
office of the ‘Public Analyst’ in 1860 (11, 12). Dublin incidently was the third city in the British
Empire (after London and Birmingham) to appoint a Public Analyst (in 1862). This was in
recognition that legislation controlling the composition of food was meaningless without the
necessary mechanism of monitoring it. Each year, following the appointment of the Public
Analyst, there were dozens of convictions in the Dublin Courts under the 1860 and later the
1875 acts. An interesting feature of law at that time was the power of a magistrate to order
the convicted shopkeeper to publicise his conviction at his own expense by way of a
newspaper advertisement. For example, the following advertisement appeared on the front
page of the Irish Times of 27th February, 1972:
Adulteration of milk
At the Northern Police Court on Saturday, 17th February 1872, John Doyle, Dairyman, of 127
Dorset Street was fined five pounds for selling milk adulterated with 50% water.
Poor Mr Doyle had to pay not merely the fine but also the cost of the advertisement. Perhaps
there is a lesson for our present day legislators!
Most food processing plants will have the facilities for routine analysis of the foods which they
process and a number of commercial laboratories offer services for this type of analysis. Some
examples of what might be described as ‘routine’ analyses are given in Table 6. The more
complex analysis of foodstuffs for contaminants, particularly at trace level (PPM to PPB), may
be carried out by the larger processors but is more likely to be done by the Public Analysts,
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the State Laboratory, An Foras Taluntais, the Department of Agriculture and the IIRS. A list of
some of the contaminants of significance is given in Table 7. For those interested in a review
of modern methods of food analysis, reference 13 is recommended.
Arsenic
Asbestos
Artificial colours
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg)
Hormones
Mycotoxins
n-Nitroso compounds
Pesticides
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Vinyl chloride monomer
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INDUSTRIAL PROCESS SHOWING INVOLVEMENT OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS
In all areas of environmental protection, the analytical chemist is intimately involved because
almost every control or regulation relates to permissible concentration levels of substances
which may be present in discharges, effluents, etc. Their analysis is therefore a prerequisite
to the effective implementation of those controls and regulations.
Broadly speaking, the environment can be divided into two areas – the environment of the
workplace (usually, though not always, indoors) and the general external urban or rural
environment. Each has its own requirements and these will be discussed in the following
sections.
The prevention of explosions requires the monitoring of factory atmospheres for explosive
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vapours but this is usually done by non-analytical chemists using portable easy to operate
‘explosimeters’. These mainly operate on variations of the one principle whereby the
atmosphere is drawn across a catalytically coated filament (or other device such as a
pellister) and ignited. As a result, the filament temperature increases causing a change in its
electrical resistance which is measured by making it part of a Wheatstone Bridge
arrangement. The devices are calibrated to record (or alarm) when the atmosphere contains
a flammable vapour approaching or in excess of its lower explosive limit (the lowest
concentration which will sustain combustion). Examples of flash points and lower and upper
explosive limits are given in Table 8 for some common substances.
In some industries there is a legal requirement for a ‘Naked Light Certificate’ to be issued
before ‘hot work’ (e.g. welding) can take place in certain areas. An example of this would be
the carrying out of repairs to a tanker used for carrying petroleum products.
The third situation which requires the monitoring of airborne vapours and dusts involves the
analytical chemist to a greater degree. Most common chemicals used in industry are rated
according to what is known as their “Threshold Limit Value” or “TLV” (14) which may be
loosely described as the maximum concentration of a dust, gas or vapour to which a worker
should be exposed over a normal working shift. Exposures to levels at or below the TLV, on
the basis of present knowledge, are not known to cause ill effect except in the case of allergy
or hypersensitivity. The TLVs most commonly used are those published by an American group
of government industrial hygienists (14) and these form the basis of the controls exercised by
the department of Labour Factory Inspectorate in implementing the 1955 Factories Act and its
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many regulations. A list of TLVs for a number of substances are given in Table 9. The methods
used to monitor factory atmospheres vary from simple hand operated pumps which draw air
through an indicator tube (rather like the breathanalyser) to portable infra-red analysers. Gas
chromatographic analysis of gases and vapours isolated in a variety of ways (such as
absorption onto charcoal) is common in ‘one-off’ situations. Dusts are usually absorbed on
membrane filters. Small battery operated ‘personal monitors’ are frequently worn by certain
workers to measure actual inhaled levels rather than average concentrations for the whole
work area.
Pressure from trade unions, legislation and a sense of responsibility on the part of some
employers has led to an increased amount of surveillance of factory atmospheres.
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ETERNAL ENVIRONMENT
All new factories which received IDA assistance are required to meet minimum environmental
standards set down by local planning authorities and the IDA itself on the recommendations
of the IIRS. This applies to both air and water borne effluents. Legislation has also been
introduced to protect the atmosphere and our lakes and rivers from pollution from whatever
source it may arise.
AIR QUALITY
The oldest legislations in Ireland relating to the emission of harmful vapours is the Alkalie Act
(1906), and this is still in force. Under it, a government appointed Alkali Inspector can set
limits for the emission of acidic and other substances for scheduled industries. He is
empowered to monitor the emissions and, if necessary, close down a plant which does not
adhere to the limits he has set. It should be pointed out however that those powers are not
frequently used. The only other national legislation relating to air quality are regulations,
dealing mainly with the emission of black smoke, which were introduced in 1970 (15). A 1980
EEC directive on health protection standards for SO2 and particulate matter will, in due
course, be absorbed into Irish law.
Other factors indirectly affecting air quality are the control of potential pollutants, e.g. lead in
petrol and sulphur in gas/diesel oil and the occasional private legal actions taken against
companies who cause pollution of the atmosphere.
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Analytical techniques used to monitor air quality vary greatly and range from simple
absorbers to sophisticated gas chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques (18). Sulphur
dioxide can be simply measured by bubbling it through a solution of hydrogen peroxide
(which converts it to H2 SO 4 ) and measuring the acidity produced. On the other hand, the
measurement of air-borne asbestos at ambient levels (about 10-9 gr/m3) requires a
sophisticated and tedious procedure using a Transmission Electron Microscope (19).
Automated procedures for measuring many pollutants have been developed for continuous
operation at unattended monitoring stations. Analytical research is continually going on to
improve the detection limits reliability and ease of operation of the procedures used to
monitor air quality.
WATER
Water, which is usually taken for granted, has a major part to play in determining the quality
of our lives. Apart from that which we drink, it has a major amenity role and is used as a raw
material in virtually every industrial process.
The discharge of unwanted waste by way of aqueous solution or suspension into sewers,
rivers and lakes traditionally provided industry with the most convenient means for its
disposal. The damage done to rivers and lakes in countries where industries developed in a
haphazard and uncontrolled way during the industrial revolution bears ample testimony to
this. Ireland is fortunate in that pollution of rivers and lakes is relatively rare and legislation
introduced in 1977 is aimed at maintaining this situation (16). A number of EEC directives also
are aimed at ensuring minimum standards for surface waters used for drinking purposes and
bathing waters and these will in time become part of our national legislation.
A number of agencies are involved in various aspects of monitoring water quality including the
Public Analysts, Local Authorities, An Foras Forbatha, IIRS, the Department of Fisheries,
private analysts and industry’s own laboratories.
From an analytical point of view, routine water analysis is relatively uncomplicated and except
where sample numbers necessitate automation, simple equipment and a minimum of
expertise is required (See Table 10) (20). More complex procedures such as gas
chromatography are required however to deal with pollutants such as pesticide residues or
polycyclic aromatic compounds. Larger water laboratories use autoanalysers to deal with the
throughput of large numbers of samples.
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Sampling is an important part of water analysis, particularly in carrying out surveys of rivers,
lakes and tidal estuaries. Due account must be taken of river flows, tidal currents and still
water areas in assessing where to sample and how to interpret results.
CONCLUSION
In this article, an attempt has been made to highlight the multi aspect role of analytical
chemistry in industry and the environment. The need for analytical chemistry stems from the
necessity to quantify chemical composition for purposes of process and quality control and
the implementation of legislation. It is not surprising therefore that more graduate chemists
are involved with analytical chemistry in their working careers than all other aspects of the
subject. This was shown in a survey carried out in 1974 (17) and while the data is admittedly
out of date there is no indication that the trend has altered in the meantime.
It can be seen that analytical chemistry, unlike other branches of the subject, is very much
involved with the everyday functioning of our society, whether it be in facilitating trade or in
the implementation of legislation. More often than not, the analytical chemist in these
situations will be dealing with non-scientific persons such as lawyers, judges, legislators, civil
servants, purchasing managers, etc. Apart therefore from technical competence, he must be
able to communicate with those outside his own profession. Often this is not easy. Concepts
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such as ‘detection limit’ or the statistical tolerances associated with results obtained by a
particular procedure can present amazing difficulties, particularly when the outcome of a
dispute or the value of a shipment of goods may depend on them.
REFERENCES
1. F.Szabadvary
“The History of Analytical Chemistry” 1966 Pergamon, Oxford.
2. I.M.Koltoff
Analytical Chemistry 24A 45(1) 1973
3. Laitenen et al (Eds)
“A History of Analytical Chemistry” ACS 1977
4. R.Belcher
Chem. in Britain 638, 16(12) 1980
5. D.T.Burns, D.A.McDaeid
Orbital 14 No.2, 1978
1015 D.T.Burns
“Euroanalysis III – Reviews on Analytical Chemistry” p1 –12
Applied Science, London 1979
1015 E.Braun et al
Anal. Chem. 617(A), 52(6) 1980
1015 F.Hill
Legal control of food – past, present and future
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Proc. Symposium on Food Control Eastern Health Board, 31st March 1980.
13. P.L.Schuller
“Euroanalysis III – Reviews on Analytical Chemistry” p.37 – 74
Applied Science, London 1979.
17. B.T.Woods
Orbital 1976
18. A.Liberti
“Euroanalysis III – Review on Analytical Chemistry” p.369 – 385
Applied Science, London 1979
19. P.G.Byrne
Anal.Proc. Royal Society for Chemistry, 362 – 365 Sept. 1980
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“Scientific literature rides the caboose on the train of science”
Nature editorial 24/4/81
“I think it was in a course in quantitative chemical analysis that an appreciation of the scientific
method and its rigours began really to take hold of me…
There were no short cuts to beat clear thinking, careful technique and endless patience. Later on,
I found that the same unnatural methods are always required in those activities commonly called
‘research’”.
Robert S.Mulliken
Nobel Literature in Chemistry, 1966
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