Dedicated specifically to nuclear analytical techniques, this publication is intended to assist scientists using alpha, beta and gamma spectrometries, neutron activation and XRF analyses, and other nuclear analytical methods, in assessing and quantifying the sources of uncertainty in their daily measurements.
The purpose of this book is to present a state of art summary of current knowledge of methods of assessment of radionuclides in the terrestrial and marine environments. It cover the traditional methods of radioactivity measurements such as radiometrics techniques, but also recent developments in the mass spectrometry sector. The book starts with a short preface introducing the subject of the book, summarising content and philosophy of the book, as well as the most important historical achievements. The scientific topics are introduced by description of sampling methods, optimisation of sampling sites and sampling frequency. The recent developments in radiochemical separation methods using chromatography resins for the treatment of actinides, transuranics and other groups of radioelements are also described. No other book is available covering all aspects of environmental radioactivity measurements, although remarkable progress has been made in detection techniques over the last ten years. At present the new methods enable to carry out investigations which were not possible before, either because of lack of sensitivity or because of the fact that they required too large samples.
It is now becoming recognized in the measurement community that it is as important to communicate the uncertainty related to a specific measurement as it is to report the measurement itself. Without knowing the uncertainty, it is impossible for the users of the result to know what confidence can be placed in it; it is also impossible to assess the comparability of different measurements of the same parameter. This volume collects 20 outstanding papers on the topic, mostly published from 1999-2002 in the journal "Accreditation and Quality Assurance." They provide the rationale for why it is important to evaluate and report the uncertainty of a result in a consistent manner. They also describe the concept of uncertainty, the methodology for evaluating uncertainty, and the advantages of using suitable reference materials. Finally, the benefits to both the analytical laboratory and the user of the results are considered.
Analytical chemical results touch everyones lives can we eat the food? do I have a disease? did the defendant leave his DNA at the crime scene? should I invest in that gold mine? When a chemist measures something how do we know that the result is appropriate? What is fit for purpose in the context of analytical chemistry? Many manufacturing and service companies have embraced traditional statistical approaches to quality assurance, and these have been adopted by analytical chemistry laboratories. However the right chemical answer is never known, so there is not a direct parallel with the manufacture of ball bearings which can be measured and assessed. The customer of the analytical services relies on the quality assurance and quality control procedures adopted by the laboratory. It is the totality of the QA effort, perhaps first brought together in this text, that gives the customer confidence in the result. QA in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory takes the reader through all aspects of QA, from the statistical basics and quality control tools to becoming accredited to international standards. The latest understanding of concepts such as measurement uncertainty and metrological traceability are explained for a working chemist or her client. How to design experiments to optimize an analytical process is included, together with the necessary statistics to analyze the results. All numerical manipulation and examples are given as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that can be implemented on any personal computer. Different kinds of interlaboratory studies are explained, and how a laboratory is judged in proficiency testing schemes is described. Accreditation to ISO 17025 or OECD GLP is nearly obligatory for laboratories of any pretension to quality. Here the reader will find an introduction to the requirements and philosophy of accreditation. Whether completing a degree course in chemistry or working in a busy analytical laboratory, this book is a single source for an introduction into quality assurance.
The scienti c method is based on the measurement of di erent physical qu- tities and the search for relations between their values. All measured values of physical quantities are, however, a ected by uncertainty. Understanding the origin of uncertainty, evaluating its extent, and suitably taking it into account in data analysis, are fundamental steps for assessing the global accuracy of physical laws and the degree of reliability of their technological applications. The introduction to uncertainty evaluation and data analysis procedures is generally made in laboratory courses for freshmen. During my long-lasting teaching experience, I had the feeling of some sort of gap between the ava- able tutorial textbooks, and the specialized monographs. The present work aims at lling this gap, and has been tested and modi ed through a feedback interaction with my students for several years. I have tried to maintain as much as possible a tutorial approach, that, starting from a phenomenolo- cal introduction, progressively leads to an accurate de nition of uncertainty and to some of the most common procedures of data analysis, facilitating the access to advanced monographs. This book is mainly addressed to - dergraduate students, but can be a useful reference for researchers and for secondary school teachers. The book is divided into three parts and a series of appendices. Part I is devoted to a phenomenological introduction to measurement and uncertainty. In Chap.
Modern applications of nuclear chemistry concern various scientific disciplines, such as high-sensitive, high-selective, and non-destructive analytical technologies, pharmaceutical and medical research, molecular diagnosis and patient treatment, and nuclear energy. This book also discusses the issues waste managements and environmental aspects. The new edition has updated literature references and includes new material throughout.
Reliable and metrologically comparable results of quantitative analytical methods are essential to assure that decisions taken on their basis have meaning and context. Problems with combining measurement results, calculating their uncertainties and establishing metrological traceability can prove complicated and ambiguous for measurement scientists. Combining and Reporting Analytical Results discusses in detail the problems faced by scientists, and presents a variety of approaches across biological, chemical and environmental sciences to resolving these types of issues. Topics include: validated methods of analysis; application of internal quality control procedures; participation in proficiency testing schemes; metrological traceability of measurement results and associated uncertainties, as well as some quality system issues and formal accreditation. Written by leading experts, and with worked examples and illustrations throughout, this invaluable reference source is ideal for analysts from various scientific fields.