During the past ten years a variety of methods involving mass spectrom etry have been developed for the analysis of environmentally important compounds. Much has been accomplished in that period to solve some of the important problems in the field. Growth of this methodology and its accomplishments has reached the point where an individual scientist can no longer have an in-depth knowledge of all the areas involved. We have attempted to provide this in-depth picture to those scientists con cerned by having the important topics treated by experts in the subject matter. In order to provide all the relevant material in one volume we begin with the general topics which provide the basic background material necessary to understand the techniques discussed in the in-depth topics. These general chapters are kept brief, containing only the essentials needed by the working scientist to deal with the practical applications. References in these chapters are chosen to permit a more complete study of each chapter. The concept for this book was developed during the activities of two of the editors under a NATO travel grant. These editors gratefully acknowledge this support which made the initial planning of this book possible. The editors would like to thank the individual authors of each chap ter for their cooperation and generously giving of their time for this project.

"In full colour throughout, this book describes the power of mass spectrometry in resolving environmental issues, demonstrating how real-world complex problems can be solved in a simple and elegant way."--Worldcat.

Mass Spectrometry: A Foundation Course is a textbook covering the field of mass spectrometry across the chemical, physical, biological, medical and environmental sciences. Sufficient depth is provided for the reader to appreciate the reasons behind and basis for particular experiments. It is uniquely and logically organised to enable the book to form the basis for a university course in mass spectrometry at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. This is achieved by combining specific core sections coupled to optional areas of study tailored to students of the chemical, physical, biological, medical and environmental sciences. Recommended course structures are provided in the front of the book. Dedicated chapters are included on: organic mass spectrometry; ion chemistry - to emphasise the role of mass spectrometry in fundamental chemistry and physics; biological mass spectrometry including proteomics; mass spectrometry in medicine, environmental and surface science and accelerator mass spectrometry, to emphasise the importance of these areas. Each chapter concludes with key references and additional recommended reading material, making the book an excellent springboard to further study. Highly readable, easy-to-use and logically presented, Mass Spectrometry: A Foundation Course is an ideal text for students and for those who work with mass spectrometers who wish to gain a solid understanding of the basics in modern mass spectrometry.

Mass Spectrometry in the Biological Sciences covers the most recent technological and applied developments in the area, including both ionization techniques and ion analysis. It introduces and reviews some of the newer ionization methods, describes the major instrumentation involved in mass analysis, and presents the scope of the technology in biology, medicine, and environmental science. Specific examples are given for a number of topics. It also deals with recent achievements in the on-line combination of separation techniques such as gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and supercritical fluid technology.

This textbook presents the principles and methods for the measurement of radioactivity in the environment. In this regard, specific low-level radiation counting and spectrometry or mass spectrometry techniques are discussed, including sources, distribution, levels and dynamics of radioactivity in nature. The author gives an accurate description of the fundamental concepts and laws of radioactivity as well as the different types of detectors and mass spectrometers needed for detection. Special attention is paid to scintillators, semiconductor detectors, and gas ionization detectors. In order to explain radiochemistry, some concepts about chemical separations are introduced as well. The book is meant for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in physics, chemistry or engineering oriented to environmental sciences, and to other disciplines where monitoring of the environment and its management is of great interest.