ABSTRACT
The growth in public concern regarding the occurrence and possible effects of chemicals in the environment is related to developments in methods for chemical analysis (Table 17.1). This effectively started in 1952 when James and Martin invented the gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) technique, which was later extended in sensitivity by the development of the flame ionization and electron capture detectors. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was developed by Walsh in 1952, also opening the door to analysis of a wide range of environmental contaminants.
