Volume 37, Issue 2

Detailed monographs on the analytical chemistry of zirconium, which is widely used in all fields of modern science and technology, were published in the 1960s–1970s of the last century. This review summarizes information on the modern methods for determination of zirconium in a great variety of natural, technical, and biological objects. Focus is made on the works published in scientific periodicals after 2005. Spectroscopic techniques of zirconium determination including molecular and atomic spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and electrochemical and activation methods are described. The paper also describes the applications of zirconium compounds, in particular, in analytical chemistry.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a sample preparation technique with many applications that is being continuously developed. In this technique, the type of fiber coating plays a crucial role for extraction efficiency. Currently available commercial coatings have certain drawbacks that have been overcome by the development of new coatings based on novel materials; these have improved the efficiency of extraction, selectivity and stability of commercial coatings. Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) are one of the most important groups of emerging contaminants; however, some studies suggest that these compounds can cause adverse health effects. No official monitoring protocols for these compounds are currently available, so the establishment of analytical methods that allow their determination in environmental samples is required. The complexity of environmental samples together with the low concentration levels of these compounds makes necessary the use of sample preparation techniques capable of removing interferences, as well as preconcentrated analytes, and SPME is a very promising alternative to achieve this. This review describes the recent developments in SPME with classical and novel coatings and its applications for PPCP determination in environmental samples.

An almost exhaustive overview of the determination and remediation of p -nitrophenol ( p -NP)-contaminated media is herein presented. p -NP is one of the priority pollutants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list. This is because p -NP is either a precursor or a derivative of a good number of pollutants. It is itself very carcinogenic and tends to persist in water and soil. This has prompted the development of a wide range of analytical tools by researchers for its determination and eventual removal from contaminated sites. These include electrochemical methods with many electrode modifiers and electroanalytical procedures developed for the detection/quantification of p -NP in contaminated environments. Also, chromatographic and p -NP uptake techniques, particularly adsorption onto various adsorbents (ranging from natural to synthetic), are reviewed. The use of microorganisms for the bioremediation of p -NP-contaminated samples and sites has equally been largely studied and is herein overviewed, not forgetting advanced oxidative processes.