ABSTRACT
It has been said that there are about 50 broad classifications of methods that are used in analytical chemistry. To the analytically uninitiated selection of methodology for quantitating compounds of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur from the wealth and diversity of methods within those 50 broad classifications can be overwhelming. Manufacturers of commercial analytical devices are also rich sources of information relative to methods and regulatory requirements. It is an a priori truth that an analytical result is no better than the extent to which the analyzed sample is representative of the material whose composition is being determined. Thus, the procedure used to collect samples is as critical as the analytical methodology itself, and sampling the environment for purposes of pollution analysis is particularly complicated. The primary purpose of a sampling protocol is to provide representative samples of the space being investigated. Properly designed, it adds validity to the overall analysis of the data and to the conclusions drawn from it.
