Analysing Our World and Others
By SHILLINGTON, David
People today want to know what is in their food, drinking water, soil and in the air. They also want to know about the make up of planets well beyond our own. Scientists sent a pathfinder space craft to deliver the “Sojourner rover” to roam on the Martian surface to perform analyses of the soil and to compare them to those of Earth. This is a golden age for analytical chemists and analytical chemistry. In a surprisingly short time, the variety of analytical methods and the sensitivity of analytical equipment has increased to the extent that there are insufficient analytical scientists and chemists trained to provide answers for our discerning consumers. Questions are raised in many fields of science requiring the employment of analytical methods in medicine (clinical chemistry, toxicology pharmacy or medicinal chemistry), environmental science (ecology, oceanography or meteorology), social sciences (archaeology, anthropology or forensics), agriculture (horticulture, crop, dairy and food science), geology (geophysics, geochemistry, or paleontology) and chemistry (molecular biology, biochemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry). All these fields require the knowledge and skills of an analytical chemist.
The concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide are determined in millions of blood samples every day, and used to diagnose and treat illnesses. Quantities of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust gases are measured to check emissions and to determine whether cars are running correctly. Determination of nitrogen in food is carried out to establish the protein content and hence its nutritional value. During the production of steel, the concentrations of carbon, nickel and chromium are determined and controlled to produce steels with desired hardness and corrosion properties. The mercaptan content of household gas is continually monitored to ensure the gas has a sufficiently noxious odour to warn us of pending dangerous leaks. These areas all require scientists and technicians trained in the area of analytical sciences. Analytical science or chemistry is not an end in itself, but part of a bigger picture in which we use the analytical results to help maintain or improve a patient’s health, measure the mercury content of fish, maintain quality control for manufactured products, or to find out if there is life on Mars.
The use of continuous measurement and control is called a feed back system. For instance a diabetic regularly measures blood samples for glucose analysis, and if the concentration of glucose is above 95mg/dL then a control is put in place by means of an insulin injection which results in the body lowering the blood glucose concentration to within acceptable levels. Maintaining the proper level of chlorine in our swimming pools and drinking water provides another example. The feed back loop concept has wide applications and is found in many biomedical, mechanical and electronic systems and chemical analysis plays a central role in a broad range of these systems.
Surprisingly few people and school leavers realise the vast employment opportunities available to analytical scientists and the services these experts can provide to our society. Technological developments have increased the demand for laboratory technicians and analytical scientists to analyse our world and others.
* David Shillington is Head of the School of Applied Health Sciences at UCOL.
(c) 2007 Evening Standard; Palmerston North, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.