Errors in Chemical Analyses

E.B. Sandel, Errors in Chemical Analysis , in Treatise of Analytical Chemistry, I. M. KolthofFand P. J. Elving, eds., Part 1, Vol. 1, John Wiley, New York, 1959. 

Not only was elective affinity inadequate as a means of comparing the affinities of different substances it also led to critical and pervasive errors in chemical analysis by compromising the purity of chemical substances obtained in this manner. In other words, the supposition of complete displacement reactions encouraged the use of impure substances as pure ones in chemical analysis, which seriously compromised the accuracy of chemical analysis. Chemists were deceived, for example, in believing that they could obtain pure magnesia from displacement reactions. Berthollet s pointed attack on the notion of elective affinity is understandable in light of the fact that it caused a serious problem for the validity of basic chemical analysis. His attack was quite successful in undermining chemists naive confidence in the absolute order of chemical affinities obtained from displacement reactions and in the analytic purity of the substances thus obtained. He discredited affinity tables as mere memorandums of barren facts ... 

Currie, L. A. and DeVoe, J. R. (1977). Systematic Error in Chemical Analysis. In Validation of the Measurement Process (J. R. DeVoe, Ed.), ACS Symposium Series 63, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. 

Chapter 3 Using Spreadsheets in Analytical Chemistry 54 Chapter 4 Calculations Used in Analytical Chemistry 71 Chapter 5 Errors in Chemical Analyses 90 Chapter 6 Random Errors in Chemical Analysis 105 Chapter 7 Statistical Data Treatment and Evaluation 142 Chapter 8 Sampling, Standardization, and Calibration 175... 

Errors in chemical analysis are the most obvious source of uncertainty in the modeling of water-rock interactions. The uncertainty may result from incomplete analysis, unreliable sample collection and preservation, or from incorrect interpretation of the data. Incomplete analysis are unfortunately prevalent, elements like aluminum are typically present in very low concentrations and are difficult to... 

A significant fraction of laboratory effort mnst be devoted to weeding out false results by consistent application of the QA techniques discussed in the earlier sections of this chapter, preferably before such results are reported. The QC program and interlaboratory comparisons are designed to identify systematic errors in chemical analysis and radiation measurement due to problematic methods or analysts. By chance, QC results instead may identify an occasional error due to lack of attention in analysis, measurement, recording, or calculation. More commonly, occasional errors are found during data review (see Section 10.6). 

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