Agricultural analysis

Many pesticides are neurotoxicants poisoning the nervous system. A number of pesticides are acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors (Serat and Mengle 1973). Generally, pesticides determination has been performed by GC since the 1960 s (Morrison and Durham 1971 Fournier et al. 1978). There are no reference materials for pesticides in urine or serum, although as with PAHs there are a number biological matrices certified for the content of various pesticides available for environmental food and agriculture analysis and which may have some application in clinical chemistry. 

J. Sherma, Thin-layer chromatography in food and agricultural analysis, J. Chromatogr., 880(1-2) (2000) 129-147. 

Schwab AP, Splichal P, Sonon LS (1993) In Hoddinott KB, O Shay TA (eds) Applications of Agricultural Analysis in Environmental Studies, ASTM STP 1162, ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA, USA, pp. 86-91. 

In this article, flowing-stream systems assembled for environmental and agricultural analysis are classified according to their application area, i.e., water, air, soil, and plant analysis. Within each area relevant flow methodologies for the determination of individual analytes are briefly reviewed and specific features of particular methods are outlined. Additional information about the analytical performance of several flow assemblies is listed comprehensibly in the tables. The likelihood of direct introduction and treatment of solid samples in an automated fashion is also highlighted in the bulk of the text. Finally, attention is also paid to the different schemes available for online speciation studies, which are of increasing significance in environmental assays. 

The advantages previously mentioned have converted the microfluidic immunoassay platforms into an emergent and powerful alternative in the field of food and agricultural analysis in which a complicated sample preparation step is highly required. 

Based on the customized examples presented above, it is possible to envision the development and acceptance of complete systems equipped with other instrumental components and wireless control and data transmission. This arrangement would be useful for on-site food and agriculture analysis, where the monitoring of preservatives, hazardous, or environmental compounds may be required for routine or quality control. 

In sum, and in editor s opinion, this valuable text offers a comprehensive vision about different electrochemical techniques following their basic principles, instrumentation, and main applications in the field of food and agricultural analysis. Also, editors hope that the critical and attractive vision of the book will help readers to get introduced in the exciting area of agricultural and food electroanalysis. 

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