Analysis of Wastes and Solids

For the most part, the substances determined as part of waste analysis, the analytes, are measured by techniques that are used for the determination of the same analytes in water and, to a lesser extent, in air. However, the preparation techniques that must be employed for waste analysis are usually more complex than those used for the same analytes in water. This is because the matrices in which the waste analytes are contained are usually relatively complicated, which makes it difficult to recover all the analytes from the waste and which introduces interfering substances. As a result, the lower limits at which substances can be measured in wastes (a parameter known as the practical quantitation limit) are usually significantly higher than in water. 

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This chapter covers some of the general aspects of environmental chemical analysis. Environmental chemical analysis can be subdivided into several overlapping categories. These include analysis of water and wastewater, analysis of wastes and solids, air and gas analysis, and analysis of biological materials and xenobiotic substances, all addressed briefly in this chapter. 

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