ABSTRACT
Flow injection analysis (FIA) is a relatively novel method of chemical analysis which at present is largely restricted to well-defined laboratory analytical applications. This chapter outlines the operating principles of FIA and describes several examples of the application of the method for on-line bioprocess monitoring. An FIA system can be made by physically assembling modules together in a way that suits the chemistry. Its basic building blocks are those of analytical chemistry: sample handling, transport, speciation, and detection. The chapter discusses the individual components that make up an FIA system and how they have been utilized in bioprocess monitoring. Sample handling in relation to FIA can be accomplished automatically by any physical means. Detectors and techniques that have not been used with FIA, which may have significant impact, are multispecies electrodes, x-ray fluorescence, and neutron activation analysis.
